steve the skeptic
@policyskeptic.bsky.social
government policy, health policy, evidence, statistics and sometimes other topics
Reposted by steve the skeptic
It’s not more efficient though. An admin member of staff doing something quickly and efficiently is far cheaper than them not being there and me having to do it myself.
It’s actually about the worst thing you can do for efficiency, removing the bit of glue that does that job in a consistent way.
It’s actually about the worst thing you can do for efficiency, removing the bit of glue that does that job in a consistent way.
January 6, 2026 at 8:41 AM
It’s not more efficient though. An admin member of staff doing something quickly and efficiently is far cheaper than them not being there and me having to do it myself.
It’s actually about the worst thing you can do for efficiency, removing the bit of glue that does that job in a consistent way.
It’s actually about the worst thing you can do for efficiency, removing the bit of glue that does that job in a consistent way.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Reposted by steve the skeptic
as an antidote to Paul Ovenden's despair at getting things done in govt, here is Moira Wallace's case study for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on how the Blair govt tackled school absence. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/... Determined govts with clear priorities can get stuff done.
Reducing school absence | Institute for Government
Learning from the last Labour government can help Keir Starmer reduce school absence.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
January 2, 2026 at 9:33 PM
as an antidote to Paul Ovenden's despair at getting things done in govt, here is Moira Wallace's case study for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on how the Blair govt tackled school absence. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/... Determined govts with clear priorities can get stuff done.
An appropriate way to identify the key staff leading X/twitter right now: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
giftarticle.ft.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:30 PM
An appropriate way to identify the key staff leading X/twitter right now: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
That is the day it should have ended. He should have been arrested, charged, tried, and appropriately and permanently dealt with.
January 6, 2026 at 10:03 AM
That is the day it should have ended. He should have been arrested, charged, tried, and appropriately and permanently dealt with.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Reposted by steve the skeptic
I'm afraid there *is* an obvious answer: it can't.
January 6, 2026 at 7:10 AM
I'm afraid there *is* an obvious answer: it can't.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
There's no pleasing some people.
January 5, 2026 at 2:58 PM
There's no pleasing some people.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 3:02 AM
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Ex-Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun has Lunch with the FT and in one of those instances so rare that you know he didn't sign an NDA, says exactly why as.ft.com/r/e503690d-8...
January 2, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Ex-Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun has Lunch with the FT and in one of those instances so rare that you know he didn't sign an NDA, says exactly why as.ft.com/r/e503690d-8...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
True of much of the healthcare prediction industry. Good prediction is of no necessary benefit. Unless it's telling you something you didn't already know and the predicted risks are more modifiable through earlier intervention.
January 2, 2026 at 10:15 AM
True of much of the healthcare prediction industry. Good prediction is of no necessary benefit. Unless it's telling you something you didn't already know and the predicted risks are more modifiable through earlier intervention.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
There’s an awful lot of “could” and “may” in these kind of articles, and o find it remarkable that supposed “exemplars” are so coy about a) who exactly did something b) when exactly did they start doing it and c) what exactly happened. In its place, ministerial rarara
December 31, 2025 at 2:28 PM
There’s an awful lot of “could” and “may” in these kind of articles, and o find it remarkable that supposed “exemplars” are so coy about a) who exactly did something b) when exactly did they start doing it and c) what exactly happened. In its place, ministerial rarara
Reposted by steve the skeptic
as Steve says, this is absolutely *not* the cause
the cause is patients who are sick enough to need admission to a bed either on acute medical unit or a deeper ward in the hospital for whom there are no beds available because of flow and capacity issues
the cause is patients who are sick enough to need admission to a bed either on acute medical unit or a deeper ward in the hospital for whom there are no beds available because of flow and capacity issues
December 31, 2025 at 2:20 PM
as Steve says, this is absolutely *not* the cause
the cause is patients who are sick enough to need admission to a bed either on acute medical unit or a deeper ward in the hospital for whom there are no beds available because of flow and capacity issues
the cause is patients who are sick enough to need admission to a bed either on acute medical unit or a deeper ward in the hospital for whom there are no beds available because of flow and capacity issues
Reposted by steve the skeptic
it is also a total misunderstanding of medical practice in assessing early presentations of undifferentiated patients that because the person ultimately left the department with no new treatment, their self-identified (or 111 identified) need for care was absent
Medicine does not work like that
Medicine does not work like that
December 31, 2025 at 2:18 PM
it is also a total misunderstanding of medical practice in assessing early presentations of undifferentiated patients that because the person ultimately left the department with no new treatment, their self-identified (or 111 identified) need for care was absent
Medicine does not work like that
Medicine does not work like that
Reposted by steve the skeptic
And research showed that many patients attending for minor illness/injury were perfectly well aware of alternative care destinations but chose A&E despite this and despite risk of long waits
And many were directed there by 111 numbers
And many were directed there by 111 numbers
December 31, 2025 at 2:16 PM
And research showed that many patients attending for minor illness/injury were perfectly well aware of alternative care destinations but chose A&E despite this and despite risk of long waits
And many were directed there by 111 numbers
And many were directed there by 111 numbers
Reposted by steve the skeptic
well they have spun it slightly differently by making it less about AI algorithms and more about minor illness and injury
but absolutely it is a non story that tells us nothing about the real causes of the crises in primary/community care or A&E departments and seeks to blame patients and GPs
but absolutely it is a non story that tells us nothing about the real causes of the crises in primary/community care or A&E departments and seeks to blame patients and GPs
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 PM
well they have spun it slightly differently by making it less about AI algorithms and more about minor illness and injury
but absolutely it is a non story that tells us nothing about the real causes of the crises in primary/community care or A&E departments and seeks to blame patients and GPs
but absolutely it is a non story that tells us nothing about the real causes of the crises in primary/community care or A&E departments and seeks to blame patients and GPs
Reposted by steve the skeptic
I dug behind the industry paywall to find out, what *are* the geniusly clever things that AI can predict will increase NHS A&E pressures?
You’ll never guess
- Flu
- Winter
- Icy weather
- Friday nights
- Christmas
- New Years Eve
Jeez, Dom’s old mates at Faculty AI (o yes) really saw Wes coming
You’ll never guess
- Flu
- Winter
- Icy weather
- Friday nights
- Christmas
- New Years Eve
Jeez, Dom’s old mates at Faculty AI (o yes) really saw Wes coming
December 31, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by steve the skeptic
2026 prediction: "We're going to cut your team's budget to help pay for this AI guessing tool."
December 31, 2025 at 10:28 AM
2026 prediction: "We're going to cut your team's budget to help pay for this AI guessing tool."
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The two influential people quoted in support of this useless “AI” solution need their heads examining. As you say, the pattern and volume of attendances is well known, and has been observed for decades.
December 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
The two influential people quoted in support of this useless “AI” solution need their heads examining. As you say, the pattern and volume of attendances is well known, and has been observed for decades.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
8. People already in res care whose needs have been increasing for some time but no attempts made to move them to nursing home care, yet the moment they come in acutely with a short-lived acute illness/injury the water closes in over their heads
9. Internal delays waiting for other teams' input
9. Internal delays waiting for other teams' input
December 29, 2025 at 7:34 PM
8. People already in res care whose needs have been increasing for some time but no attempts made to move them to nursing home care, yet the moment they come in acutely with a short-lived acute illness/injury the water closes in over their heads
9. Internal delays waiting for other teams' input
9. Internal delays waiting for other teams' input
Reposted by steve the skeptic
5. Arguments over continuing care/ICB funding with patients still stuck in the bed
6. Obstructive foot dragging behaviours from (*some* not most) families
7. People admitted acutely who have longstanding serious housing/safeguarding/mental health/isolation/carer stress issues never tackled before
6. Obstructive foot dragging behaviours from (*some* not most) families
7. People admitted acutely who have longstanding serious housing/safeguarding/mental health/isolation/carer stress issues never tackled before
December 29, 2025 at 7:32 PM
5. Arguments over continuing care/ICB funding with patients still stuck in the bed
6. Obstructive foot dragging behaviours from (*some* not most) families
7. People admitted acutely who have longstanding serious housing/safeguarding/mental health/isolation/carer stress issues never tackled before
6. Obstructive foot dragging behaviours from (*some* not most) families
7. People admitted acutely who have longstanding serious housing/safeguarding/mental health/isolation/carer stress issues never tackled before
Reposted by steve the skeptic
3. Endless process delays and obstacles in getting social work/social care allocation/needs assessment/means assessment/funding/sourcing (both for home care and care homes)
4. Insufficient capacity in step down community health care to help people leave hospital sooner with a safety net
4. Insufficient capacity in step down community health care to help people leave hospital sooner with a safety net
December 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
3. Endless process delays and obstacles in getting social work/social care allocation/needs assessment/means assessment/funding/sourcing (both for home care and care homes)
4. Insufficient capacity in step down community health care to help people leave hospital sooner with a safety net
4. Insufficient capacity in step down community health care to help people leave hospital sooner with a safety net
Reposted by steve the skeptic
and the failure to implement solutions right in front of our eyes because of the fixation with "innovation" and digital for its own sake
Examples from my daily practice which have got worse by far recently
1. Endless (discharge) transport delays
2. Endless (discharge) equipment delivery delays
Examples from my daily practice which have got worse by far recently
1. Endless (discharge) transport delays
2. Endless (discharge) equipment delivery delays
December 29, 2025 at 7:30 PM
and the failure to implement solutions right in front of our eyes because of the fixation with "innovation" and digital for its own sake
Examples from my daily practice which have got worse by far recently
1. Endless (discharge) transport delays
2. Endless (discharge) equipment delivery delays
Examples from my daily practice which have got worse by far recently
1. Endless (discharge) transport delays
2. Endless (discharge) equipment delivery delays