From Insider today: Permanent job placements in Scotland have risen for the first time in five months in a positive sign for the labour market. The figures in the latest RBS Report on Jobs for November also show Scotland is performing better than the rest of the UK. According to the report, the report’s Permanent Placements Index – which aims to track trends in the number of permanent jobs – rose from 46.3 in October to 50.8 in November. https://www.insider.co.uk/news/permanent-new-job-figures-rise-21038633 Continue reading Scotland outperforms rest of the UK on jobs

I got this back-to-front having spotted McCardle’s fibs in the Herald and reported on it here, before I discovered that Alex Cole-Hamilton had asked a parliamentary question about it, a few days beforehand, to feed her the idea: Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response is to reports that doctors are retiring before reaching the state pension age because of overwork. Click to access WA20191203.pdf So, here they are again; the facts: GPs retiring early: Only 167 out of 8 000 did in 2017-2018 and that was down … Continue reading Alex Cole-Hamilton feeds Herald reporter with GP rubbish and she regurgitates it

In the Guardian on Tuesday: Two and a half years since Grenfell, it is a silent scandal how little has changed. The images of the cladding crackling and dripping from the Bolton student block is a shameful reminder that thousands of homes are still not safe. There have been eight significant residential fires since Grenfell. And today tens of thousands of people are still living in buildings wrapped in dangerous combustible materials. It’s on our homes, our hospitals, our care homes and our schools. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/03/fires-grenfell-towers-combustible-cladding In Scotland: In a parliamentary question at Holyrood on Monday, David Stewart (Highlands and Islands) (Scottish Labour) asked … Continue reading Scottish high-rises have been protected against ‘large scale fire’ since 2005 and new regulations will make all buildings safer

We’ve been having a wee surge at factcheckSCOTLAND/TalkingUpScotland2 since last Friday, and as the election looms, but the audience for a smug little report today on Norovirus surging everywhere but in Scotland is swelling ominously toward 3 000 readers all by itself and none of us here get why. Have a look if you will: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2019/12/06/norovirus-infection-rates-have-soared-across-the-uk-except-in-scotland-so-first-minister-why-have-you-not-been-able-to-increase-norovirus-infection-levels-after-12-years-in-power/ The only prize for the best explanation will be the respect and admiration of the two or three who read it! Continue reading Is Norovirus making this blog swell?

Two sub-polls for the more reliable YouGov and Ipsos MORI on the same days giving 50% and 52%: Ipsos MORI with 130 Scots adults on 2-4 December Con      22% Lab      12% Lib       12% SNP     50% Green  0% Brexit  2% YouGov with 146 adult Scots on 2-3 December Con      25% Lab      11% Lib       7% SNP     52% Green  2% Brexit  0% They’re just sub-polls with all the usual qualifications but two of them getting pretty similar results for all three big parties suggests something we can, perhaps, get a wee buzz from. Continue reading SNP Surge?

Only one week to go and the SNP are still strong in the polls despite the daily health scares on BBC Scotland. What can they do? FGM? No! Surely, they wouldn’t try to exaggerate that. On Reporting Scotland last night, we heard an extended report into the dreadful phenomenon of FGM. The reporter told us that ‘medics in our cities’ had reported more than 200 cases in the last two years. According to Police Scotland there were 28 cases in 2018. The official figures for 2019 are not yet released. https://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/434027/526774/526824/19-2024-response?view=Standard A Freedom of Information request to police Scotland revealed … Continue reading Babies and wee girls dying, women with breast cancer and suicidal young men AND NOW Reporting Scotland brings you FGM and more of it than there is, of course.

Here’s the up-to-date evidence: Access to a GP Based on a Scottish survey published in July 2019, we can see that while overall levels of satisfaction with the quality of the service offered by GPs did not differ significantly, it is in the ease of access that the Scottish system seems to be performing much better:  93% reporting 2-day access! GP Workload According to BBC Scotland News in June 2019: ‘Patients should get appointments with GPs lasting at least 15 minutes rather than 10, according to the Royal College of GPs. In a report, it warns nearly 40% of GPs in Scotland feel overwhelmed by their … Continue reading 93% can see a GP in 2 days but Herald Health Correspondent lies for 4th time as election looms

From the BBC yesterday: Hospitals in England closed more than 1,100 beds in the past week because of the winter vomiting bug norovirus. Data shows higher than average levels of norovirus in November. One of the most common stomach bugs in the UK, it can be spread very easily in the community. In the 19th paragraph: Wales and Northern Ireland have also seen an increase in vomiting and diarrhoea or flu-like illnesses over the last few weeks, particularly in schools and care homes. In the 23rd and last paragraph: ‘In Scotland, there has been no increase in norovirus cases in … Continue reading Norovirus infection rates have soared across the UK except in Scotland, so First Minister why have YOU not been able to increase Norovirus infection levels after 12 years in power?

First Minister, after 12 years in power, why have YOU not been able to leave mental patients languishing for months? This extended BBC report at 6 and on the website had not a word of blame for Health Secretary Hancock nor for any politician at all yet in Scotland two days ago, ONLY the SNP are to be blamed and all of the opposition parties are to invited to blame them: Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton reiterated demands for increased investment and called for the Scottish Government to publish its overdue integrated workforce plan, setting out how it … Continue reading Patients with mental illnesses are left languishing for months on hidden waiting lists in England but no heads need roll

Ludo Thierry Hi John – Newsnet.Scotland carrying some useful associated info today – Good to see such a respected business figure in the fishing industry cut through all the britnat media spin and come out to publicly back SNP policy (and that the P+J carry the story). Also useful info re. quadrupling of sales value of nephrops catch over a 4 year period. Link and snippets below: https://newsnet.scot/news-analysis/fishing-industry-boss-backs-snp-at-general-election/ William Tait snr of Fraserburgh-based Klondyke Fishing Company called on fishermen to now back the SNP at the general election on 12th December according to a report in the Press & Journal. … Continue reading Leading fishing company owner backs SNP!