Health secretary ‘open to requests’ for Scotland and Wales patients to be treated in England

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2023

admin

The health secretary is said to be “open to requests” for patients from other UK nations to be treated in England to help tackle waiting lists.

Steve Barclay has invited the health ministers for Scotland and Wales to discuss what can be learned from their varying approaches.

He suggested he would consider appeals for people who have been waiting a long time to come to England for treatment.

Health has been a devolved matter since 1999, with nations able to largely decide how to run their own systems.

Mr Barclay said he wanted to “share best practices, improve transparency and provide better accountability for patients”.

He added: “This will help to ensure we are joined up when it comes to cutting waiting lists – one of the government’s top five priorities – and will allow us to better work together to improve performance and get patients seen more quickly.”

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said “significant variations” existed between waiting times.

“In Wales, more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, day case or inpatient appointment in Scotland,” said the DHSC.

“In England, waiting times for patients over 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated.”

Mr Barclay’s invitation for talks has not had an enthusiastic reception.

Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson suggested Westminster should concentrate on the “many issues south of the border”, such as doctors’ strikes.

A Welsh government spokesperson defended its record and said long waiting times had “more than halved in the past year” – and that its figures include more referrals.

They added: “The overall growth in waiting lists in Wales has been smaller in Wales than in England over the last 12 months – it grew by 3.6% in Wales and by 12.1% in England.

“Wales has also outperformed England in major emergency department performance in nine out of the last 10 months.”

Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting also hit out at Mr Barclay, saying: “The only advice the Tories are qualified to offer is how to wreck the NHS and cause the biggest strikes in its history.”

Junior doctors began a fifth walkout on Friday – which is due to finish on Tuesday morning.

The government says 778,000 appointments have been disrupted during the strikes, but the British Medical Association says doctors have no choice due to dwindling pay.

Politics

New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind $100M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

Published

2 hours ago

November 19, 2025

admin

New Hampshire approves first-of-its-kind 0M Bitcoin-backed municipal bond

New Hampshire has approved the issuance of a $100 million municipal bond backed by Bitcoin, in what appears to be the first structure of its kind at the US state level.

Minutes from a Nov. 17 meeting of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA), the state’s business financing agency, show the board planned “to consider approving a resolution authorizing up to $100,000,000 bonds for a project to acquire and hold digital currency.”

Minutes from the following day record that directors voted to “approve the preliminary official intent, with no reservation, to issue a taxable conduit revenue bond for WaveRose Depositor, LLC of up to $100,000,000.”

According to a Wednesday Crypto in America report, the bond is backed by Bitcoin (BTC) and would let companies borrow against overcollateralized BTC held by a private custodian. The state or taxpayers do not back the bond; instead, BFA approves and oversees a private deal, while Bitcoin — reportedly held in custody by BitGo — covers investors.

According to the report, asset manager Wave Digital Assets and bond specialist Rosemawr Management designed the bond to utilize Bitcoin as collateral under the same rules that govern municipal and corporate bonds. Wave co-founder Les Borsai said the goal is to “bridge traditional fixed income with digital assets” for institutional investors.

New Hampshire, United States — *The New Hampshire State House in Concord. Source:* *Wikimedia*

“We believe this structure shows how public and private sectors can collaborate to responsibly unlock the value of digital assets and digital asset reserves,” he added.

The borrower is expected to post approximately 160% of the bond’s value in Bitcoin as collateral, and if the price of BTC drops below roughly 130%, a liquidation would ensure that bondholders stay whole. According to BFA Executive Director James Key-Wallace, fees from the transaction will fund the local innovation and entrepreneurship program, the Bitcoin Economic Development Fund.

New Hampshire dives headfirst into crypto

The news follows New Hampshire becoming the first US state to allow its government to invest in cryptocurrencies in May after Governor Kelly Ayotte signed a bill allowing the municipality to “invest in cryptocurrency and precious metals.”

New Hampshire is also working on a bill to deregulate local cryptocurrency mining operations. In late October, a committee voted 4–2 to send the measure for further review in an interim study after it had been deadlocked in the State Senate twice.

The local administration is viewed as particularly welcoming to the cryptocurrency industry. In early February, Brendan Cochrane, an Anti-Money Laundering specialist at YK Law in New York City, argued that it could become an alternative for crypto companies relocating to the Bahamas.

The latest moves build on a longer history of crypto engagement. Back in 2015, New Hampshire was already working on a bill that would have allowed the state government to accept tax and fee payments in Bitcoin.

The bill ultimately failed in 2016, but it shows how early the local administration began to show interest in this asset class. Additionally, as early as 2016, some advocates were already arguing that New Hampshire was among the world’s most Bitcoin-friendly communities.