Letters / Vote for independence, John!
In answer to John Tulloch’s letter of 5 December:
The figures he shared appear to show “the worst performance on record”, however, Scotland’s so called worst figures show that 70 per cent of patients are still being seen within four hours. This is far better than the figures for England for the same period, at only 55 per cent.
Feel free to have a look at other important figures to compare with the Scottish figures on the UK Governments own website. NHS Key Statistics: England, November 2022 – House of Commons Library.
- I would like to point out that the Scottish NHS is under external pressures caused by the UK Government’s decision making, such as European staff returning home to Europe after Brexit, its ongoing failure to sort out social care/blocked beds, and decades of underfunding. The Scottish NHS budget is currently determined by the UK Government, as a percentage spent on the English NHS. Therefore, without borrowing powers, the Scottish Government is not able to do much more than tinker around the edges in attempts to improve things here. However, it is quite obvious that they are doing something right.
- The UK’s recent rising interest rates are in part due to the UK Government’s own damaging mini-budget and the UK is in such a bad state now due to years of ideologically imposed austerity since the coalition.
- The UK Government has continuously undermined Scotland Government’s climate change aims, for example by refusing to back carbon capture technologies in Scotland, removing support for green energy, backing fracking, and awarding numerous new North Sea oil exploration contracts.
- All parties have a chance to be elected in Scotland. The voting system was designed by Westminster to ensure that. For example, of the 31 Conservative MSPs currently in Holyrood 26 are List MSPs (i.e. not directly elected by voters). For example, if Scotland had the UK system, there might be only five Conservative MSPs. It’s hardly an elective dictatorship here.
In short John, if you really want to improve the Scottish NHS AND improve our carbon footprint then vote for independence at the next general election.
Angela Sutherland
Weisdale
