THE BBC has been criticised after it failed to cover an academic study highlighting the impact of Tory austerity on life expectancy in Scotland.
The report found that austerity measures imposed by the UK Government had an “important and substantial” impact on mortality rates.
Mortality rates throughout the 20th century fell year on year, except in times of war or pandemic, but began to stagnate around 2012, with the poorest being hit hardest.
Conducted by Glasgow University and the Glasgow Centre for Population Health using already available studies, the findings suggested cuts in the wake of the 2008 financial crash significantly contributed to the stagnation.
Gerry McCartney, the report’s lead author and a professor of wellbeing economy at Glasgow, said that “any further austerity policies that squeeze public spending will have disastrous long-term impacts on population health”.
Dr David Walsh, the report’s co-author, said: “The evidence shows [the stagnation in mortality rates] are principally the result of UK Government austerity policies.”
As reported in The National, Walsh had told a Holyrood committee days before the report was published: “You can trace the effects of austerity through well-understood pathways to tragically early death.”
After its publication, the study was covered by various media outlets including The National, STV, The Times, The Independent, and the news agency PA.
%image('13841293', type="article-full", alt="Nicola Sturgeon addressed the report into the effects on austerity at FMQs on Wednesday")
The study was also addressed by Nicola Sturgeon during First Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. She told MSPs: “I think it’s appalling and it displays and gives evidence for what I think many of us have suspected is the case over some time now.
“What the researchers at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health found, and I’m quoting here, is ‘austerity is highly likely to be the most substantial causal contributor to the stalled mortality trends seen in Scotland and across the UK’. So, it’s down to Tory austerity.”
However, the BBC did not cover the report.
Erik Geddes, the head of broadcast for the SNP, commented on the inconsistency on Twitter.
Life expectancy rates in Scotland is an issue @BBCScotlandNews has frequently reported on in recent years. Would be v odd if they didn’t do so today - off the back of an academic study by @uofglasgow showing UK gov cuts are primarily to blame for this. pic.twitter.com/eg0xrfX4lJ
— Erik Geddes (@erikgeddes) May 31, 2022
He wrote: “Life expectancy rates in Scotland is an issue @BBCScotlandNews has frequently reported on in recent years.
“Would be v odd if they didn’t do so today – off the back of an academic study by @uofglasgow showing UK Gov cuts are primarily to blame for this.”
An SNP source further told The National that “some editorial decisions by the BBC just don’t make sense”.
They added: “Audiences deserve consistency and even-handedness on issues like the impact of Westminster control on life expectancy in Scotland.”
It comes after the BBC repeatedly refused to correct errors across multiple articles on its website which wrongly suggest the UK Government is not set to legalise genetic modification involving the transplanting of genes from one organism to another.
Responding to the report, a UK Government spokesperson said: “The new health and care levy will raise around £12 billion a year across the UK, with £1.1bn going to support the Scottish Government to further invest in health services by 2024, this is on top of their £41bn annual block grant.
“Tackling health disparities is a priority for the Government, and we will work with the Scottish Government and the powers they have, to focus on the people and places who face the worst health outcomes.”
The BBC was approached for comment.
