Helen Puttick retweeted
EXCLUSIVE: John Swinney spent just 75 minutes in meetings with officials discussing the restructuring of Scotland’s councils before announcing plans to overhaul local government 👇
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The comments under this article are brilliant. Funny, insightful and offering different perspectives.
Man responsible for long-delayed NHS Scotland app wins promotion
thetimes.com/article/931b90…
Man responsible for long-delayed NHS Scotland app wins promotion
thetimes.com/article/931b90…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
One NHS Highland worker has been receiving their full salary and benefits for 17 years despite not having a specific job anymore - what madness is this? 👇
🔺 EXCLUSIVE: An SNP ban on compulsory redundancy means 800 public-sector ‘ghost workers’ are on full pay even though their roles are gone thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Delighted to have @FraserNelson
writing again for his old stomping ground. His column on the incredible £27m a year spent on Scotland jobs that no longer exist: thetimes.com/article/ccb63a…
writing again for his old stomping ground. His column on the incredible £27m a year spent on Scotland jobs that no longer exist: thetimes.com/article/ccb63a…
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Impartiality row over inquiry into QUEH super-hospital floor cleaning scandal
thetimes.com/article/717b32…
thetimes.com/article/717b32…
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So worrying to see these warnings - typical in December and January - arrive before Halloween.
Health board sounds early warning over looming A&E crisis
thetimes.com/article/4ad4f8…
Health board sounds early warning over looming A&E crisis
thetimes.com/article/4ad4f8…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Just days after this really important story by @HelenPuttick
‘Scottish ministers end funding for hospital cybersecurity checks’
thetimes.com/article/d4a623…
‘Scottish ministers end funding for hospital cybersecurity checks’
thetimes.com/article/d4a623…
BREAKING: The NHS Scotland website has been taken down after critical cyber-security vulnerabilities were discovered affecting websites across the world.
Organisations who are unable to address the issues immediately have been urged to consider taking their sites down in the meantime.
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The full extent of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital scandal in Scotland, with thanks to all the patient families and whistleblowers for their time.
The NHS opened an £842m super hospital. Then came the unexpected deaths
thetimes.com/article/e39e25…
The NHS opened an £842m super hospital. Then came the unexpected deaths
thetimes.com/article/e39e25…
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For anyone headed to St Andrews University open day tomorrow.
Why is St Andrews so good? Inside the UK’s top university
thetimes.com/article/5cbdb1…
Why is St Andrews so good? Inside the UK’s top university
thetimes.com/article/5cbdb1…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Exclusive from @DSanderson_85 that calls further into question Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn - a must read:
thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
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Prejudice and snobbery too often divides state and private school pupils, doesn’t it? Should more not be done about this?
Them and us’ attitude is harmful to all of our schools
thetimes.com/article/aa09fb…
Them and us’ attitude is harmful to all of our schools
thetimes.com/article/aa09fb…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Another one seemingly out of their depth. It's a good job for the SNP that most voters largely ignore what's going on at Holyrood and this stuff is rarely picked up by UK media. The SNP moan about the lack of UK media coverage of Scotland. It's actually a blessing in disguise
Phew! In today's Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, the SNP's Equalities' Minister took a VERY long time not to really answer my two questions.
Watch this space on their proposed Human Rights Bill, as I shall be doing just that. Very closely.
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Behind this photo is a really sad story.
This photo was taken after I delivered my own family member’s baby.
I wasn’t on shift. I wasn’t even a qualified midwife.
I was a first-year student midwife.
My cousin went into labour at home and called me. She didn’t realise she was ed, it was obvious to me that she was and that her baby wasn’t far away.
She was a silent labourer. Incredibly high pain threshold. No noise.
I called maternity triage, told them I was a student midwife and that I was coming in by ambulance with my cousin.
When the ambulance arrived, I went with her as her family member. I did not present myself to the ambulance crew as a student midwife. I was there to support someone I loved.
We arrived at hospital.
I was handed a pair of scrubs.
There weren’t enough staff.
And I was told forcefully by a band 7 to deliver my family member’s baby.
A matron came into the room and scribed the notes while I supported my family member through the her birth.
Afterwards, that same matron wrote in my Record of Achievement that I was above the level expected of my training. She praised my caring and professional approach and recorded that I had worked within safe parameters.
I was proud.
Then, not long afterwards, I was called into university for a fitness-to-practise discussion.
I was accused of overstepping my boundaries.
They had even contacted the ambulance service to establish whether I had told the crew I was a student midwife. The witch hunt began.
I hadn’t.
I remember standing outside a door while a lecturer decided whether I would be allowed to remain on my course.
Eventually I was told I could stay — but that I needed to be “more careful”.
It changed me.
Not long afterwards, I went to concert in London. There was a pregnant woman standing in front of me in the queue.
I moved right to the back.
I wanted to be as far away from her as possible.
That is what fear had done to me.
I had gone from instinctively wanting to help a woman to being frightened that simply being near a pregnant woman could somehow get me into trouble.
That experience stayed with me throughout my career.
Because this is what I came to understand about the culture I experienced in midwifery:
Be caring — but not too outspoken.
Be capable — but know your place.
Advocate — but don’t challenge too hard.
Think — but stay within the line.
And above all, be very careful about growing your own voice.
I spent years believing I was never quite good enough. Looking over my shoulder. Wondering whether somebody was waiting for me to make a mistake.
Looking at this photograph now makes happy.
Because I don’t see a dangerous student midwife.
I see a young woman who responded to an unexpected situation, supported somebody she loved, followed the direction of senior staff — and then became a whistleblower as a result of the poor care given to women, families & midwives.
They didn’t teach me to fear birth that day.
They taught me to fear what might happen to me for stepping forward.
And that lesson followed me for years. @KenZeroHarm @ArturNadol7566 @Simonekatz4tay @nmcnews
This photo was taken after I delivered my own family member’s baby.
I wasn’t on shift. I wasn’t even a qualified midwife.
I was a first-year student midwife.
My cousin went into labour at home and called me. She didn’t realise she was ed, it was obvious to me that she was and that her baby wasn’t far away.
She was a silent labourer. Incredibly high pain threshold. No noise.
I called maternity triage, told them I was a student midwife and that I was coming in by ambulance with my cousin.
When the ambulance arrived, I went with her as her family member. I did not present myself to the ambulance crew as a student midwife. I was there to support someone I loved.
We arrived at hospital.
I was handed a pair of scrubs.
There weren’t enough staff.
And I was told forcefully by a band 7 to deliver my family member’s baby.
A matron came into the room and scribed the notes while I supported my family member through the her birth.
Afterwards, that same matron wrote in my Record of Achievement that I was above the level expected of my training. She praised my caring and professional approach and recorded that I had worked within safe parameters.
I was proud.
Then, not long afterwards, I was called into university for a fitness-to-practise discussion.
I was accused of overstepping my boundaries.
They had even contacted the ambulance service to establish whether I had told the crew I was a student midwife. The witch hunt began.
I hadn’t.
I remember standing outside a door while a lecturer decided whether I would be allowed to remain on my course.
Eventually I was told I could stay — but that I needed to be “more careful”.
It changed me.
Not long afterwards, I went to concert in London. There was a pregnant woman standing in front of me in the queue.
I moved right to the back.
I wanted to be as far away from her as possible.
That is what fear had done to me.
I had gone from instinctively wanting to help a woman to being frightened that simply being near a pregnant woman could somehow get me into trouble.
That experience stayed with me throughout my career.
Because this is what I came to understand about the culture I experienced in midwifery:
Be caring — but not too outspoken.
Be capable — but know your place.
Advocate — but don’t challenge too hard.
Think — but stay within the line.
And above all, be very careful about growing your own voice.
I spent years believing I was never quite good enough. Looking over my shoulder. Wondering whether somebody was waiting for me to make a mistake.
Looking at this photograph now makes happy.
Because I don’t see a dangerous student midwife.
I see a young woman who responded to an unexpected situation, supported somebody she loved, followed the direction of senior staff — and then became a whistleblower as a result of the poor care given to women, families & midwives.
They didn’t teach me to fear birth that day.
They taught me to fear what might happen to me for stepping forward.
And that lesson followed me for years. @KenZeroHarm @ArturNadol7566 @Simonekatz4tay @nmcnews
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NHS health workers are afraid to speak truth to power in Scotland. It wasn’t always this way but it’s become the norm. Discuss:
thetimes.com/article/7659ae…
thetimes.com/article/7659ae…
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World-wide league table shows education in Scotland stalling in the areas of maths and reading. Pupils in England significantly outperform their counterparts north of the border across subjects including science.
thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
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Helen Puttick retweeted
Traitors' winner Stephen Libby spoke to me about growing up knowing he was gay while attending church regularly on the Isle of Lewis. Huge thanks to him for the interview and the childhood pictures. thetimes.com/uk/scotland/ar…
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