As NHS England suffers a real crisis with infection and death rates surging to the highest in the World and whole regions on the very edge of being overwhelmed, the BBC Health Correspondent, Lisa Summers, pounces gleefully on a report from James Cook on one of Scotland’s more hard-pressed areas, Monklands in Lanarkshire.
You might remember Summers, a few weeks ago, excited about a small rise in hospital-acquired Covid infections in Scotland but not mentioning that they were only at 2% and at that, a tiny fraction of the rates in NHS England. Or, back in 2019, when she decided all-by-herself to call Dundee’s Oncology Department ‘dysfunctional’, only to have a St Andrews professor offer the facts suggesting that maybe the term might be better applied to her reporting.
As for Cook, recent champion of opening-up gyms early, his report is the usual evidence-free stuff.
Now I’m not saying that the Monkland staff are not under pressure but the NHS in Scotland, as cases decline, as hospital admissions begin to level-out, while still, nationally at only two-thirds of capacity, and with ICU at only one-quarter of capacity, is coping impressively. There is only one NHS in Scotland. Patients can be transferred . They always have been.
Not mentioned, of course, NHS Lanarkshire has 351 Covid patients, down from 367 the previous day and 18 in ICU down from 20, the previous day.
This ‘news’ is not representative of the lived experience of those consuming it, it’s a scare story.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
And Cook’s “report” got a run-out on Radio 4 Today program.
I had just missed Jimmy Buchan on, girning about his wish coming true, as well. Don’t know what he said, but he wont be blaming Boris, that’s for sure!
The BBC is a disgrace, and should be scrapped in Scotland.
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After independence Scotland can have their own broadcasting powers. The English government control it for a reason, a cunning lot. Wales and NI has broadcasting powers do they not?
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They don’t have to pounce on a story.
Everything is carefully planned and coordinated.
a) We have a source first. A Unionist Party press statement, an unnamed Westminster insider, A “think tank”, An individual claiming to represent all GPs/Nurses/ Fishing/ teachers/ etc etc. Evidence of credentials for that claim not required.
b) Then it is reported at length in the Unionist dead tree media and amazingly appears on a dozen rags front pages at the same time.
c) The BBC/SKY etc then cover it in depth quoting their Unionist colleagues in the dying press.
d) The BBC/Sky are then referred to in Holyrood by the Unionist shades of the Tory Party Red/Blue and Yellow.
I’m sure I was not alone watching the BBC report from an ICU on the main news last night and “knowing” that the branch of of mis-reporting Scotland would have a copycat “we are just as bad” slot.
The BBC instead of covering the FM speech to Holyrood yesterday had a 15 minute slot before it telling what we would hear. Telling you what THEY thought it meant. Telling you what to really hear….all part of the drip, drip plan.
“If only the people of Scotland would take the BBC version of what is happening and be grateful that they didn’t need to think.”
The News is being created,NOT reported, in Scotland.
…and then we have UJ cushion placement in TV shows OR Great British something titles, OR food labelling with UJs starting in ALL our supermarkets at the same time.
….pure coincidence…just like the GERs figures/ Internal market bill etc
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Well said Julia.
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Absolutely spot on Julia. It’s an orchestrated attack on Scotland in order to undermine the efficacy and integrity of the Scottish government. Highly sinister indeed.
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Just to add to that Julia it will not escaped your’s or anyone’s attention that as before BBC continually ‘spreading the blame for the death/infection rates as the UK’ but unsurprisingly now showing the ‘encouraging’ vaccination figs from Dept of Health England. All very subtle.
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An article in the Huffington Post drew me to the death figures announced yesterday. Apparently the total was a new record for the U.K, 1610.
Thanks to Travelling Tabby, it appears that 1,507 were in England, and 71 in Scotland.
No Cobra meeting? No L.B.J on T.V?
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Ironically had noted this Cook-ed up story splashed on the UK, Scotland and Scotland Politics pages around an hour ago, just went back to check and it’s now been erased not demoted from the latter.
Presumably the PQ order of the day was to promote the story to the max and the hapless Summers couldn’t resist overdoing it, but suspect the intended audience is not Scotland.
The “struggling” staff portrayal might imply to an English audience the crisis engulfing London and SEE is echoed in Scotland, a spin likely devised by the League of Extraordinary Unionists.
There is no doubt SNHS personnel will be drained after weeks on high alert worrying if the lockdown will work, but this Cook’s special is more Keich that Quiche, overseasoned with implication and absent a key ingredient, facts.. Another “I’ve seen the email” culinary creation…
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The small clip I saw revealed not staff or a hospital in crisis, but a highly competent team working efficiently in a well-equipped ICU to treat patients who were in considerable distress. There was a brief interview with one patient which indicated just how serious Covid-19 can be.
Framed differently, this clip could have served a) as indicating to the public why the restrictions really have to be followed by the general public and b) that the NHS Scotland staff and hospitals are competent.
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Agree with last point. England gets articles on TV and Radio demonstrating how devastating Covid can be to patients, plus how overloaded England’s NHS is, all with the intent of encouraging better adherence to the Covid guidlines. Whereas John Beatit brings on “exp erts” advising safeguarding old folk and shielders whilst the rest of society is expected to get on it, undermining the audience’s trust in Scot Gov messaging.
A common theme in Scotland our Broadcaster frequently sets out to undermine the Scot. Gov’s public health messaging.
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“Framed differently, this clip could have served a) as indicating to the public why the restrictions really have to be followed by the general public and b) that the NHS Scotland staff and hospitals are competent.”
It would not surprise me in the least if that was Cook’s pitch to Monkton, you can only wonder what the staff made of the end product once HMS Sarah Smith had “refined” it ?
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AND CALL WESTMINSTER DECRY RT NEWS FOR RUSSIA BACKED NEWS SLANT
WE UK HAS ITS VERY OWN. IN bbc
THEY SEEM TO BE HELL BENT ON MISLEADING GENERAL PUBLIC
FOR POLITICAL REASONS
OFCOM OR WHOVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUTPUT OF CHANNELS SHOULD BE INTERVENING
TO STOP THE BAD JOURNALISTIC TRADE
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All please realise it is not news
It is propaganda
Nothing more Nothing less
Never credit them by using the word news
My Granny had a saying
Down a rat hole you will only find a rat
So in a propaganda unit you will only ever find
Propagandists
Do not refer to these rats as reporters
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They are not Journalists! And it’s not news.
Right now all that stands between Scotland and independence is Propaganda.
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