My experience has been that we are better off here in Scotland. My whole family work in Health a Social Care, but DD and DS were working in the South West at the start of the pandemic. DS became seriously ill in 2019 and I stayed with him for 2 months and to help with DGS. Despite a very serious medical history afflicting 3 members of the family and now DGS we were told this was not grounds for a referral to a specialist. He eventually returned to work in March 2020 but his condition worsened again and, despite his surgery having full details of his condition and family history, he was wrongly diagnosed in hospital and discharged by 2 Health Trusts. a third recognised the severity of his condition but he had to go to Northants for treatment and then to London. Despite his consultant's best efforts in 3 areas, he could not secure the level and duration of support he had assessed DS would need on discharge. We managed to get him up to the North of Scotland just before the first lockdown where he received a full support service for over a year until he was able to return to his very demanding profession in April last year. DD had to go private after over 8 years of debilitating symptoms to get a diagnosis and treatment for a very serious auto immune illness. Nevertheless she continued to work in Oncology throughout the pandemic until she caught Covid recently....at work when the govt changed the guidance about PPE and she had to visit a ward she does not normally cover! DH caught Covid here in Scotland in April last year and his vital signs were all over the place so I called an ambulance. Paramedics arrived within 8 minutes, assessed him and phoned the GP who prescribed doxycycline. As for me; an Osteopath I consulted recently requested by letter that my GP arrange an assessment for surgery for me. Within the week of receiving the letter a receptionist phoned to offer me an appointment with the GP at the end of June at "7.30 or 8.30 am!!! These are just a few examples of the contrast between the treatment family members have received in the South of England and that which we have received here in the North of Scotland. The other glaring contrast, despite all the furore surrounding the Scottish government, is that the SNP Health ministers had personally negotiated with health care staff to arrive at pay settlements and avoid strikes to date.....
John Healy has resigned as Defence Secretary
