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          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          Healthcare word seen in a scrabble

          “Leave no one behind” – the Health Foundation’s report into health inequalities in Scotland 2023.

          Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

          Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          Ben Nevis. Forground has green shrubbery, then background a mountain with two tops. Blue sky with a few streaky clouds

          Exploring the Highest Mountain in the British Isles: A Guide to Ben Nevis

          Image via Steller Systems, a potential candidate.

          Cancelling future frigates could be final nail in the coffin for the UK

          A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

          Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

          A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

          Is Alister Jack sane?

          Cartoon by Stan

          Film reviews award season

          Trending Tags

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          blue background, A younf woman holding a large black sign that says VOTE ! in white letters

          Scottish elections: young people more likely to vote if they started at 16 – new study

          A scene of people demonstrating, holding Scotland flags. One man wears a tartan cap and holds a blue flag with both the Scottish cross and the EU stars on it.

          Is Alister Jack sane?

          Image Malcom Laverty

          The Brown plan

          The climate change impacts of Russia’s war with Ukraine

          Britain wastes £1bn on drones to monitor English Channel

          The Autumn Statement – time to take a closer look

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Scottish independence isn’t going away

          Russia as a low-tech nation

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          A row of tall houses on the left, with parked cars in front on the side of the street

          Saving Scotland’s tenements

          A large red researcgh vessel in the sea with ice sheets all around it on the water.

          Rosyth shipyard attracts UK Government contract to maintain fleet of scientific research vessels

          large posts saying 'Glasgow Airport Business Park' on the left and right of a road leading away from the main road in the front. . On that road leading away building with walls almost entirely existing of windows.

          Why doing business in Scotland may be better for your corporate wellbeing

          A mountain of spools forming a tree on the left, a sandy area to the right and a row of houses at the back. mountains in the distance on the right

          The Ullapool Giving Tree

          Electric off-roader heralds return of vehicle mass-production in Scotland after 40 years

          Photo Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

          Christmas cheer for Tesco if grim reading for the political classes

          Ferguson Marine will weather the storm

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            Sign saying NHS Greater Galsgow & Clyde in front of a hospital building

            Concern over patients waiting in corridors for free beds at Glasgow Superhospital

            A hospital corridor with trolleys on the sides.

            Glasgow hospitals halt non-urgent operations due to pressure

            Two more unions reject Scottish Government NHS pay offer

            GMB union reject Scottish Government pay offer to NHS staff

            Lymphocites gathering

            How careful should we be when choosing a scientific term?

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              Fire threats in the Scottish countryside

              Wood stove at the foot of the bed in the Danish Blue room at Pig Hill Inn, Cold Spring, New York. Printed with permission and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

              When smoke gets in your eyes

              Opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 in Egypt. Photo courtesy of the UNFCCC

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              Night of the strangling figs: a biological horror story

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              Pulse of the NHS Part 6 – The Clinical Support Worker

              Ashley Black spoke with a Clinical Support Worker about the challenges they face every day despite working conditions, pay and recognition.

              Ashley BlackbyAshley Black
              12-12-2022 10:55
              in NHS Scotland, Pulse of the NHS
              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

              This is my interview with a clinical support worker. It’s presented without commentary and just my questions and the answers. I’ll let the words speak for themselves.

              Ashley Black: What do you do and what’s your background in the NHS? 

              John Taggart: Clinical Support working for 6 years, mostly Accident and Emergency 

              AB: Thank you for speaking to me. My first question is this, what’s the mood in your hospital?

              JT: Mood in the hospital is horrible, staff morale is at its lowest I’ve ever seen it, so many staff are off sick due to mental health been affected by the job including myself. Nobody wants to be there anymore. . 

              AB: Could you give me an example of your working day?

              JT: The Days are all over the place due to staffing and sickness but typically, we go in, and staff handover would be given. Staff allocation area is on the board, but due to staff shortages, you could be moved to an area within the Emergency Department to cover or even a ward that has even less staff. Patients are suffering due to lack of staffing, so it is having a knock-on effect. 

              AB: What’s your biggest concern about the NHS today?

              JT: Patient safety and staff welfare is a massive concern; I love my job dealing with patients and helping them in time of need, but it’s only just being met due to the NHS crisis. 

              AB: What do you think about the strike?

              JT: I am 100% behind the strike and fully support my colleagues through this. We have been treated like dirt for far too long. Patients are massively at risk, and my colleague’s welfare is at risk. The cost of living is taking its toll on so many NHS staff members who are no different to anyone else. The Scottish Government need to stop blaming everyone else for their failings with the NHS and do something to fix this mess, or it will just get worse than it already is. Glasgow Airport staff can get 15% why can’t NHS staff? 

              AB: What are the three main issues facing NHS staff?

              JT: Patient Safety, Staffing, Staff welfare and mental health. 

              AB: It’s 2025, and nothing has changed. How will NHS Scotland look?

              JT: The Staff should walk away from this mess. Just keep striking until the Scottish Government and Humza Yousaf listen to us. If we are still in this mess come that time, I’m more than certain many staff would have left by then on to a better job I certainly will as I don’t know how much more I can take. 

              AB: It’s 2025, and staff have their demands met. How will NHS Scotland look?

              JT: Patients will get the attention they deserve and pay for. Staff will stay in jobs and actually enjoy being at work or having to do almost seven days a week just to get by.

              AB: What would you say to people that dismiss your concerns by pointing out that it’s worse for NHS staff elsewhere in the UK?

              JT: I would say come walk in our shoes. Come and do a full shift and see for yourself how bad it is. I’m sure if Sturgeon and Humza came and did a few 12-hour shifts with us on our ward, they would see the crisis in our NHS.  

              AB: If you could sum up the mood of the NHS in one word, what would it be and why?

              JT: Worthless. The reason I’ve said this is because of all the hard work staff put in, we all feel worthless nobody respects us or what we are trying to do.


              Next, Ashley Black speaks to another member of NHS Scotland staff. Do you have any suggestions for who else she could speak to? Send your suggestions to editor@bylines.scot



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              Tags: NHSScotland
              Previous Post

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              Ashley Black

              Ashley Black

              Ashley Black was born in Adana Turkey to a Canadian father and Scottish mother. She's a commercial pilot and has an MA Int'l Affairs from UC San Diego, Over a lifetime of "global tripping" Ashley currently advises several countries on aviation issues and has maintained a "base and home" in Scotland since 1990.

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