UK NHS could learn from Scots’ front-runner

Sir,

There are many different opinions about the NHS. Recently there has been much positive comment about the Scottish health service.

One letter to the Courier, from an Islay councillor, Alastair Redman, stikes a discordant note though.

Here are a selection of comments:

The Nuffield Trust, on July 5 2017: ‘There are many lessons from Scotland’s NHS for the other nations of the UK, in particular the way it seeks to improve the quality and safety of care given to patients, and the fact that it trusts and equips clinical staff to drive that improvement.’

BBC News, on the same date: ‘UK health services could learn lessons from Scotland.’

ITV News, on October 26 2017: ‘Of the four home nations, Wales sits in third spot, behind England, above Northern Ireland and trailing some way behind front-runner Scotland.’

Alastair Redman, Courier letters, November 3 2017: ‘Hospitals are short-staffed, workers are stressed and the maintenance backlog is spinning out of control.’

Maybe Mr Redman was thinking about a different NHS. William Crossan, Campbeltown.