Labour and the NHS campaign
Labour, being the mendacious and unprincipled bunch of self-seeking wannabes we all know of old (I love them really), has been talking a lot recently about 'saving' the NHS from the SNP. I remembered, though, that all was not sweetness and light in the NHS while Labour was in power so I had a wee look back to see what things were like -
Outcomes
Death rates in the 15-44 age group have dropped from 118 per 100,000 people in Labour's last year in power to 101 per hundred thousand in 2015 - a 14% improvement.
Coronary heart disease incidences dropped from 498 to 362 per 100,000 over the same period and the death rate from CHD dropped from 302 to 220 - something is clearly going very right in coronary care.
Cancer diagnoses in men have dropped from 985 to 979 per 100,000 over those years but gone up in women from 713 to 757. The death rate from cancer in both sexes has dropped, though - 434 down to 391 in men and 287 down to 272 in women. Seems cancer outcomes are heading in the right direction, too.
Staffing
One of the reasons behind the improved outcomes might be the improved staffing. In 2006 NHS Scotland had 9,600 medical staff and this year it had 12,326. Over the same period dental staff went up from 561 to 625, nursing and midwifery staff from 56,783 to 59,799, allied health professionals from 8,842 to 11,552 and support staff from 12,645 to 13,717. Total NHS Scotland staff increased from 127,062 in 2006 to 139,431 this year - and that at a time of shrinking Scottish budgets.
Prescriptions
Getting your medicine to make you better used to cost you money. Under Labour it was £6.85 for each medicine (I think that's about £8.50 in today's prices but you'd have to check) so if Mrs Shuggie McDufflecoat had to get 3 prescription items she'd be paying £20.55 in 2006 (£25.50 today, maybe) but the SNP Scottish Government abolished the charges and now you don't get taxed for being sick. Interestingly, Nye Bevan resigned from government in protest over prescription charges.
Paying the bills
Scotland's health spending now is £13,168.2 million and it was £9,499 million in Labour's last year in power. I reckon the figure from Labour's time would come to around £11bn in today's money so that's increased investment of about £2 billion from the SNP Scottish Government. To be fair, though, sport and food standards have been added to the health bill which accounts for a bit short of £58m. Per head of population, health spending was £1,847 under Labour and is £2,487 now.
And so
Scotland's NHS isn't perfect but it's in pretty good nick and it's in better shape than it was when Labour was in power. If you get a nyaff at your door telling you Labour will save the NHS, provide them with a flea for their ear and send them on their way - the very cheek of them! Tell them the SNP is doing a simply splendid job and should carry on with it.
