NHS England overall hospital waiting list is 5% longer than in Scotland
From Stage of treatment waiting times New outpatients, inpatients and day cases published today, the above and: At 30 April 2026, there were an estimated 572,206 individuals on at least one new outpatient, inpatient or day case waiting list. This is equivalent to around 1 in 10 of Scotland’s population (mid-2024 estimates). Within this total, 444,036 individuals were estimated to be waiting for a new outpatient appointment, and 149,563 for an inpatient or day case admission. The number of waits over 52 weeks has been reducing month on month, down to 14,986 at 30 April 2026, a decrease of 1,130 … Continue reading NHS England overall hospital waiting list is 5% longer than in Scotland
Waits for key NHS Scotland diagnostic tests plummet
From NHS waiting times – diagnostics – Waits for key diagnostic tests, published today, the above and: The total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 112,696: 27,931 endoscopy waits and 84,765 radiology waits. This is a 9% decrease (-11,296) from the previous quarter-end, when there were 123,992 ongoing waits. The latest quarter end has the lowest number of ongoing waits seen since 31 May 2021 (111,619). Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-diagnostics/diagnostic-waiting-times-waits-for-key-diagnostic-tests-26-may-2026/ The graph is perhaps not so easy to read but once explained it’s really good news for the Scottish Government. First the green … Continue reading Waits for key NHS Scotland diagnostic tests plummet
In England and Wales, one third fewer have had access to NHS primary dental care than in Scotland where 95% are registered
From NHS dental data monitoring report January to March 2026 published today: 5,273,339 people were registered with an NHS dentist. This is an estimated 95.1% of the Scottish population, using the 2024 National records of Scotland population estimate. 3,273,405 (62.1%) of these registered patients have participated in NHS primary dental care within the last 2 years. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report-quarter-ending-march-2026/ There is no formal NHS dentist “registration” system in England and Wales (unlike Scotland, where ~94-96% of the population is registered). Instead, official statistics track the percentage of the population seen/treated by an NHS dentist in a given period (typically the last … Continue reading In England and Wales, one third fewer have had access to NHS primary dental care than in Scotland where 95% are registered
England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland
From Termination of pregnancy statistics Year ending December 2025 published in Scotland today, the above and: Following an acceleration in 2022, the rate of increase in demand for termination services has slowed and is the same this year as last, with 17.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years receiving a termination in 2025. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2025/ In England: Official statistics for terminations of pregnancy (abortions) in England for the year ending December 2025 are not yet available. The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) publishes annual Abortion statistics for England and Wales. As of May 2026, these … Continue reading England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland
Scotland’s IVF service – target-busting for 11 years saving lives and reducing NHS costs as NHS England prices people out of becoming parents
From IVF waiting times in Scotland Quarter ending 31 March 2026 published today: During the quarter ending 31 March 2026, 373 patients were screened. The 90% standard was met, with all patients attending a screening appointment within 52 weeks of referral. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland-quarter-ending-31-march-2026/ In November 2019, I could write: The four IVF centres in Scotland screened 370 eligible patients, compared with 290 in the previous quarter. In all four centres, 100% of patients were screened for IVF treatment within 365 days. The 90% standard continues to be met [beaten] since it was first measured in March 2015. Click to access … Continue reading Scotland’s IVF service – target-busting for 11 years saving lives and reducing NHS costs as NHS England prices people out of becoming parents
AI cannot find a single police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a police tent was placed on the suspect’s garden ANYWHERE in the WORLD
There are several media reports today trying to justify the length and the methods of Operation Branchform, so: Chatgpt – Can you find a photograph of a UK police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a blue tent was placed on the suspect’s garden? Chatgpt AI – I couldn’t find a verified news photograph matching all of these conditions together: Most publicly available UK “blue tent” photographs are from investigations into deaths, assaults, shootings, or other forensic scenes rather than financial crimes. For example: Financial-crime raids in the UK are usually photographed differently — officers entering homes, seized … Continue reading AI cannot find a single police investigation of a suspected purely financial crime where a police tent was placed on the suspect’s garden ANYWHERE in the WORLD
NHS England has 23% fewer beds and too high occupancy and we know how that turns out in a pandemic
From Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (quarterly) Quarter ending 31 December 2025 published today: There were on average 13,550 available staffed beds per day for all acute specialties in the quarter ending 31 December 2025 – a 0.1% decrease compared to the same quarter in the previous year. An available staffed bed is a bed which is resourced for inpatient or day case care. Of these, 9,604 (71%) were for medical specialties and 3,946 (29%) were for surgical specialties. These percentages are unchanged from the same quarter in 2024. For all acute specialties in the quarter ending 31 … Continue reading NHS England has 23% fewer beds and too high occupancy and we know how that turns out in a pandemic
Bacterial infections fall 11% and are amongst lowest per head in Scotland in Glasgow ‘superhospital’
From Group A Streptococcus (GAS) quarterly surveillance report Report to Q1 2026 published today: There were 65 iGAS cases reported. This has decreased by 11.0% compared to quarter 1 2025, when there were 73 notifications. The highest rates of iGAS were reported from NHS Borders at 2.6 cases per 100,000 population, followed by NHS Tayside and NHS Fife (each 1.9 per 100,000). While NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and NHS Lothian reported the highest numbers of iGAS cases in quarter 1 2026, NHS Borders, NHS Tayside and NHS Fife reported higher rates proportional to their population. iGAS remains a disease … Continue reading Bacterial infections fall 11% and are amongst lowest per head in Scotland in Glasgow ‘superhospital’
Pleasant Jockoland? Extreme heatwaves will happen to ‘a meaningfully lesser extent in Northern Britain’
No doubt, I’ll be accused of tasteless, insensitive, gloating but haven’t we had it for centuries, southern commentators, comedians gloating about ‘chilly jockoland?’ Karma coming? In the Guardian today: Heatwaves are becoming the norm. This is what Britain will look like in the year 2052 – f you think the temperature uncomfortable today, let me take you to the last day of July 2052, the rays of the climbing sun reveal a city still sweltering in the residual heat of the day before. From the air, London resembles a colossal refugee camp. Streets, gardens and parks are teeming with tents … Continue reading Pleasant Jockoland? Extreme heatwaves will happen to ‘a meaningfully lesser extent in Northern Britain’
As an English judge is soft on three young gang rapists BBC News does not call England ‘rape capital’ of the UK
As BBC Breakfast ask Gisele Pelicot to discuss the astonishing, shameful, failure by an English judge to detain three frankly evil young gang rapists, BBC Scotland seem unable to find a story to tell us that things are as bad here. They tried in June 2025 when annual crime statistics were published showing an increase in sex crimes. The media in Scotland are headlining the increase in recorded cases of rape and attempted rape in Scotland. Though the increase may in part be a consequence of a greater confidence by victims to come forward and report these crimes, the figures … Continue reading As an English judge is soft on three young gang rapists BBC News does not call England ‘rape capital’ of the UK
Talking-up Scotland 