The reform our NHS really needs
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
With NHS reform getting a lot of attention, the Socialist Health Association Scotland has published a discussion paper I drafted that outlines the issues and seeks views on the way ahead. It is vital that those who support the founding principles of the NHS engage in this debate and don't leave it to those who use 'reform' as a code for the privatisation of healthcare.   Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation has reminded everyone that she was the first SNP Health Secretary in 2007, holding the post until 2012. It has to be said she started well, building up constructive relationships with the tra ..read more
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NHS Reform: It’s Social Care Stupid!
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
The current NHS crisis has spawned a flurry of proposed reforms to the National Health Service. They range from privatisation to the use of volunteers. However, most miss the point. The underlying problem facing the NHS across the UK is the failure to invest in social care. The most obvious symptom of the NHS crisis is Accident and Emergency (A&E). Less than 68% of people were assessed, treated, admitted or discharged within the Scottish Government’s four-hour A&E target. More than 6,800 people spent more than 12 hours in A&E in October. While there is much in the Scottish Futures ..read more
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Action on health inequalities
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
As the UK and Scottish Governments start the process towards another round of Austerity, we need to remember the impact this will have on health inequalities. Those in Scotland’s most deprived areas are 3.9 times more likely to die from an avoidable death than those in the least deprived areas. The leading causes of avoidable deaths were cancers, circulatory system diseases and alcohol and drug-related issues, and Covid-19. In addition, life expectancy in Scotland has been two years lower than in other UK countries for decades. Mortality rates in higher-income countries have steadil ..read more
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Audit Scotland review of NHS Scotland
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
Audit Scotland has published a pretty scary analysis of NHS Scotland today as we hopefully move into the post-pandemic recovery phase. There are four key messages: 1  The NHS in Scotland is operating on an emergency footing and remains under severe pressure. Covid-19 has created a growing backlog of patients waiting much longer for treatment. The backlog poses a significant risk to the Scottish Government’s recovery plans, which aim to transform how care is delivered.  2  NHS and social care workforce planning has never been more important. It must also prioritise address ..read more
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The case for a Health and Care Workers Covenant
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
The pandemic has seen many key workers going far beyond their contract of employment to keep services running. That is particularly the case for health and care workers who have worked incredibly hard, at no small risk to themselves, to prevent the spread of the virus and treat those affected. It is time we recognised this commitment through a Health and Care Workers Covenant and that employers take action to minimise the impact on workers and their families. Research shows that people who work in jobs like care, which are often called a calling, tend to have higher levels of r ..read more
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Scottish Labour Party Leader
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
We are conducting a snap poll of members to decide our nomination. After that members who are Affiliated and Full members of the Labour Party will get an individual vote. Here are statements from the candidates. Monica Lennon As a working-class girl growing up in Lanarkshire, it never crossed my mind that one day I would be seeking to lead the Scottish Labour Party. I learned about the workplace from my dad, who got a second chance at education and worked his way up to be a health and safety manager within the local council. He cared about people having dignity at work and for their physical ..read more
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The Future of Social Care in the Devolved Nations
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
SHA Scotland and SHA Wales/Cymru are holding a joint event on the future of social care in the devolved nations. The aim of his event is to understand the challenges facing social care in the devolved nations and the lessons learned during the pandemic. It will then look at the way forward and how social care might be reformed to meet these challenges. The event will take place on Monday 1 February 2021 starting at 7pm and finishing by 8:30pm. It will be held over Zoom. This is an open meeting. SHA members in the devolved nations will be sent a direct invite, others will have to register by ..read more
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Changes in mortality rates and how power structures can inform action
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
New research published in BMJ Open looks at recent changes in mortality rates (pre-pandemic) across the countries and key cities of the UK.   Mortality rates in Scotland and the UK have fallen consistently over centuries. However, since 2012, the rate of improvement has slowed, with a ‘levelling off’ of previously falling rates – and some suggestion of increasing rates in some parts of the country. This is unprecedented and is indicative of serious problems occurring in society.   There were four key findings: The stalling or slow down of improvements in mortality happened across t ..read more
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Building Stronger Communities
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
SHA Scotland Secretary Dave Watson wrote a detailed paper 'Building Stronger Communities' for the Reid Foundation. This includes a chapter on how public health contributes to building stronger communities. We reproduce that chapter below. The lockdown associated with the Covid-19 crisis highlighted the importance of social connection to public health. As Guardian columnist Owen Jones put it before the crisis:   “Imagine there was a virus you’d never heard of which increased the likelihood of mortality by 26%, or a condition which had a death rate comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day ..read more
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Scottish Care Service
Socialist Health Association Scotland Blog
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1y ago
This is SHA Scotland Secretary Dave Watson's contribution to a Jimmy Reid Foundation paper; 'Reconstructing Scotland after COVID-19: learning further lessons from the pandemic.' A Scottish Care Service   Even before the pandemic, it was clear that the social care system in Scotland was in urgent need of reform. The current system is underfunded, lacks capacity, and has major workforce recruitment and retention problems with fragmented delivery through a discredited commissioning process. When former Conservative ministers are openly talking about the nationalisation of care home ..read more
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