Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
The blue line is Scotland, the green is Northern Ireland, and the red Wales, as per figure 3 and not as labelled in figure 2. The impression of much higher spending in Wales that is given on first glance is misleading.
There have been numerous articles about (Spanish for instance) nurses not settling in North Wales after taking jobs here. The effect of a bi-lingual policy has not been factored in here. ALL Nursery and Primary schools here in Gwynedd are Welsh ONLY, and there is only ONE Secondary school where English is used. The RAF gives grants to personnel for their children to attend the English school in Bangor. The effect on attracting and retaining staff is NEVER investigated but should be; the BMJ should investigate this factor as some of your membership will have experience of this factor!
Re: The NHS in Wales: faring worse than the rest of the UK?
Figure 2 is, sadly, mislabelled.
The blue line is Scotland, the green is Northern Ireland, and the red Wales, as per figure 3 and not as labelled in figure 2. The impression of much higher spending in Wales that is given on first glance is misleading.
Competing interests: No competing interests