Long waiting times seem to be the norm across the NHS in Scotland.
The Scottish Government has often pointed to funding problems and 14 years of austerity from the Tories. But surely getting people to answer phones for NHS 24 is an easy fix?
NHS 24 is an essential part of our health service. It takes pressure off other areas – particularly GPs and A&E – by giving people advice over the phone. Part of what makes it so good is that it is quick to use and easily accessible. It is shocking that two different callers faced waits of more than four hours.
This could be the difference between catching an ailment early or it becoming much more serious. The clear decline in the service being provided by the helpline cannot go on and something must be done to sort it.
Now that the Scottish Government has been given more money from Westminster, the challenge for the SNP is to make sure the NHS works better. A&E waiting times have been terrible – with thousands of Scots hanging about for more than an hour before their initial assessment.
Just this week it was blamed for thousands of excess deaths. At the same time, one in seven Scots is on a waiting list for treatment. Many of these have been forced to go private to pay for surgery – particularly when it comes to hip and knee replacements.
The NHS 24 delays are just another problem which our health services face. But the Scottish Government should be able to find a quick solution to this one at least.
Boost high streets
The nature of retail has been changing since the start of the millennium. First we had out-of-town shopping centres, and now many folk are shunning physical shops and buying items online.
This is a trend which is not going to change and the days of our high streets being bustling shopping districts all year round are unlikely to return. High streets can no longer depend on retail as they used to.
The challenge for councils is to breathe new life into these areas which have traditionally been the life and soul of our towns and cities. The solution is to get more people back living in town centres and make them more welcoming for people to socialise in and spend their free time.
High streets are vital for the health of our communities but we need a proper strategy to keep them alive.
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