Latest news with #IainKennedy
Irish Times
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Rachel Blackmore's retirement
Sir, – Would I be alone in losing interest in Irish horse racing after the recent retirement of Rachael Blackmore? I would eagerly scan the runners and riders to see if 'herself' was on board and then making a mental note to see how she did in the results section the following day. As an retiree with no background in horseracing I avidly read the sports pages but they are a little less interesting now that she has gone. I suspect there are a few like me. – Yours, etc, IAIN KENNEDY, READ MORE Co Fermanagh.
Press and Journal
10-05-2025
- Health
- Press and Journal
Inverness doctor lifts lid on NHS struggles for patients and staff
A leading Highland doctor says patients used to get a better deal on an NHS which needs urgent action to avoid a downward spiral. Inverness GP Dr Iain Kennedy spoke out after the P&J revealed the findings of a survey across the north and north-east. He says our findings raise alarm about 'sleepwalking' into a two-tier service where people spend thousands going private to beat queues. And he claims rural access in places such as the Highlands where he works need much better access for rural patients. 'The NHS used to be the place in the world people wanted to work,' he said. 'Now I don't think any of us, me and my colleagues, are as proud as we used to be. 'That's not to say patients aren't getting good care – they are. 'When they access healthcare they are delighted with the care they receive.' Dr Kennedy is the chairman of the British Medical Association's Scottish council. He hears from medical professionals across the country sounding the alarm. The GP outlined his thoughts in a full interview on the P&J's weekly podcast, The Stooshie. It's not about quality, it's about access, he says. And while no one would expect a hospital in every village, some distances appear shocking. One respondent to our survey talked about driving more than 100 miles for a baby scan. We reported recently that the only vascular surgeon was leaving Raigmore in Inverness. Dr Kennedy says some people with breast lumps may have to go to Forth Valley, which covers Stirling and Falkirk. 'The mantra has been about care closer to home,' he says. 'But at the same time, we're now moving to an expectation patients will travel. 'The noises I hear from government and from health boards is the public are quite happy to travel. I'm not convinced of that myself.' He adds: 'We know the remote and rural areas of Scotland are the most difficult to provide healthcare to, and things have got worse.' With all that pressure on staff, GPs are struggling to fill the demand. 'Being a GP is a fantastic job,' he says. 'But it's become too difficult.' On Tuesday, First Minister John Swinney set out a number of pledges to improve the NHS including more GP appointments. His renewed 'programme for government' promises a stronger NHS which will make it 'easier' for people to get the care they need, when they need it. Concerns about long waits were raised in our survey by people who felt they had no choice but to pay for private operations. We spoke to one Culloden gran who spent £17,000 for an operation after getting nowhere near an NHS waiting list. 'I think it's embarrassing and shameful,' Dr Kennedy told us. 'We have an NHS which is free at the point of need and delivery. That's what the public has been led to believe and clearly it's not happening. 'We have sleep-walked into a two tier service for people who can afford to pay. It's not been planned, or at least I don't think it has. 'We want an NHS that is free because we know the most needy suffer.' The next Scottish Parliament election is in May next year. Dr Kennedy says politicians need to have honest answers. 'Things are getting worse, they're not getting better, and we need to see some hope for the future,' he says. Listen to the full interview on the Stooshie podcast online here.
Telegraph
27-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Hospital corridor care ‘normalised' in Scotland's largest health board
John Swinney has been urged to finally honour his promises to tackle the NHS crisis after a report found that patients were routinely being treated in the corridors of hospitals in Scotland's largest health board. A Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) report criticised the 'unacceptable normalisation' of corridor care at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It also attacked the widespread use of 'ambulance stacking' – patients waiting in queues of ambulances – as a method of dealing with overcrowding in the flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). The report also highlighted a 'serious breakdown' in relationships among staff and management at the board, Scotland's largest, warning this was likely to harm patient care. It said there was a 'strong perception' among medics that targets and budgets were given greater priority than 'the quality and safety of care'. The working environment at the hospital was said to be 'brutal' and 'inhumane'. The report was prompted by a joint letter from 29 doctors at the hospital to HIS warning that patient safety was being 'seriously compromised'. The board serves a population of 1.2 million people and HIS examined the emergency departments of three hospitals – QEUH, which is Scotland's largest hospital, the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and Glasgow Royal Infirmary. 'It is a huge concern' Dr Iain Kennedy, chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland, said: 'This damning report exposes the reality of poor culture and poor care at Scotland's largest health board and is no doubt reflective of failings that are felt across many parts of Scotland's NHS. 'The impact of this on staff and patients is clear, with the normalisation of care provided in corridors and ambulance stacking causing a huge concern. 'Such measures are undeniably harming patients, whom doctors and healthcare teams are doing their utmost to care for in incredibly trying circumstances, leading to moral distress and injury for staff.' He highlighted the report's disclosure of 'a lack of compassionate, respectful and positive leadership at all levels of the organisation' and said it 'fully and completely justifies' the consultants writing to the watchdog. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, used First Minister's Questions to highlight the 'devastating' conclusions and pointed out he had been raising concerns about the hospital 'for years'. He said: 'This is just the latest report after 29 doctors raised concerns almost two years ago. It follows the same pattern – patient safety compromised, staff ignored, bullied and silenced. 'And when they blow the whistle, management deny their claims, intimidate them and attempt a cover-up.' He added: 'This SNP government is more interested in protecting managers and institutions rather than protecting patients and staff. What will it take for that to change?' Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, said: 'Previous SNP promises to improve patient care have not been met. That must change. John Swinney needs to stick to his word and keep the commitments he has made to patients.' 'Utterly unacceptable' Mr Swinney told MSPs: 'Let me use this platform to make it abundantly clear to every health board in the country that the culture that is referred to by HIS is completely and utterly unacceptable.' The First Minister said Scotland had a 'formidable record' on improving patient safety but warned this would be 'undermined if there is not a culture of acceptance of the need to tackle the behaviour that the HIS report highlights'. He added: 'There's been an entire change of leadership in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with a new chair, new chief executive, new medical director in place in the board, taking forward, as the chief executive of the health board has made clear publicly, at pace and at scale the reforms necessary.' Robbie Pearson, chief executive of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: 'This report is one of the most far-reaching and comprehensive reviews we've undertaken, in terms of the breadth of evidence we've analysed, and the number of patients and staff that we engaged with.' An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesman said: 'While we aim to provide high-quality care for our patients, delays in the flow through and out of hospitals often result in patients waiting too long in emergency departments. Under these pressures, the working environment can also be difficult for our staff.' He added: 'We take the report, and most importantly the views of our patients and staff, very seriously and want to assure our patients and staff of our commitment to improve.' The spokesman said the board's chiefs have 'pledged to listen to staff and to work collaboratively and respectfully to tackle the challenges we face and to build trust between staff of all levels'.
