By Professor John Robertson OBA
Today, BBC Scotland tells us:
A senior doctor has told an inquiry she was “appalled” at the state of child cancer wards when a new £870m hospital opened in Glasgow in 2015. In evidence presented to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, infection control doctor Teresa Inkster said she felt “something had gone horribly wrong”.
Dr Inkster was the lead infection control doctor for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from April 2016 to September 2019. During that time the children’s cancer wards were forced to close because of a spike in unusual infections.
Note the use of the word ‘felt’ and the claim of a ‘spike?’
Note Dr Inkster’s supposed period of employment?
See:
Dr Teresa Inkster resigned In July 2015.
In 2019, I put the data into perspective and challenged the notion that there had been a statistically significant, meaningful, spike:
NOT telling the truth about deaths in Glasgow’s children’s hospital: A ‘spike’ in hospital acquired infections or in already infected admissions or really just a tiny blip?
A ‘spike’ in hospital acquired infections or in already infected admissions? A ‘spike’ or a tiny ‘blip?’ Graphs can be misleading depending on how you scale them. The graph shows the number of blood samples containing bacteria in each three-month period. In a three-month period, thousands will be treated. I can’t find the figures. There are 244 paediatric beds in the unit and around 400 children in care on any one day. If it were to be accurate rather than melodramatic, the graph would need to use daily, rather than quarterly figures, and still need to be extended upward SIXTEEN times higher making the spike seem, as it is, really a tiny blip. If they insist on using quarterly figures in a vain attempt to generate any visible data and pattern of change, then it would need to be extended upward as much as 50 times or perhaps more depending on how many children were treated in a period of three months and you’d need a magnifying glass to see the so-called spike.
The HPS report contains some important caveats and a call for caution. Neither word, nor the warnings they make, appear in the BBC Scotland report:
It is not possible to determine whether changes in episodes are confounded by changes in the patient population and their underlying medical conditions.
The spike/blip may be as much the result of more children coming in already infected as of more becoming infected after being admitted.
In the monthly analysis of environmental bacteria positive blood cultures, the numbers are small and should be treated with caution. (p21)
The increases are statistically insignificant and becoming in 2019 almost nil.
Here’s how they misreported:
From BBC Scotland, TV broadcast, radio and online, today:
Higher than expected rates of some infections were found in cancer patients at Glasgow’s children’s hospital in 2017, a report has said. Health Protection Scotland said there was an upturn in “gram-negative” bacteria over a 10-month period. This came a year before cancer wards were closed because of a link to contaminated water. The mother of Milly Main said she was “100%” certain contaminated water caused her daughter’s fatal infection. The 10-year-old died in August 2017 after treatment for leukaemia at the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC).
Way down the page BBC Scotland admits:
The Health Protection Scotland analysis said that over the four-year period blood data for the Royal Hospital for Children was “broadly consistent” with other large children’s hospitals in Scotland.
So, there was no story in the first place, really?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50558136
Click to access 2_review-of-nhsggc-paediatric-haemato-oncology-data.pdf
What the Health Board pointed out:
- One occasion when the number of infections linked to environmental organisms was greater than expected for this group of patients (Table 5). The period in question was June 2018 which was already being investigated by the infection control team and was identified as being potentially linked to the water supply.
- At no other time between 2013 and 2019 did the rate of infections linked to environmental organisms exceed the upper range of expected levels. This includes 2016 and 2017.
- An increase in Gram negative infections (including both environmental and enteric, i.e. intestinal infections) was noted in 2017 however this remained within expected levels for the unit. During this time there was an investigation into the possibility that two of these cases may have been linked which was later confirmed not to be the case. This investigation was reported to HPS as per mandatory guidance.
- Since the move to Ward 6A and 4B in September 2018, infection rates have been similar to other Scottish paediatric units.
- For a particular group of infections, known as gram positive infections, the rates have fallen and are now lower than elsewhere in Scotland.
- No single source of ‘exposure’ of infections has been identified across the six year period.
Then in May 2022, I was able to report:
QEUH’s child cancer wards had the same infection rate as other hospitals and infections could have been brought in by visitors
Linking deaths to possible hospital acquired infections has been reported over and over since around 2019, traumatised parents groomed by Labour have been interviewed and a case has been made out of no evidence.
However, as early as 2019, Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board had commissioned an independent expert report and this had found that there was ‘no evidence of a single point of exposure [in the building] causing the blood stream infection‘, implying that the bacteria could have been brought into the wards by visitors, and that infection rates in QEUH’s child cancer wards were no different from those in NHS Grampian and Lothian equivalents (p54).
The OBA – https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Good morning John, have you come across this link before? The research was undertaken during covid, and I wondering what you think of its main findings.
“NHS Scotland Assure Research Q&A Cupriavidus” Dr Theresa Inkster
https://www.nss.nhs.scot/media/4038/nhs-scotland-assure-research-qa-cupriavidus.pdf
“Research Q&A: Prevalence and concentration of Cupriavidus and other opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens (OPPPs) in healthcare water systems across Scotland and England”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks
Will check out
John
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/10/02/bbc-scotlands-lead-infection-control-doctor-contradicts-the-research-she-led-but-which-did-not-support-her-scaremongering-and-unscientific-current-position-on-the-inquiry/
LikeLiked by 1 person
The “Senior doctor ‘appalled’ at state of new kids’ cancer ward – inquiry” article is simply an excuse to recycle the Sarah Smith version…..
LikeLiked by 3 people
We’ve not allowed to recycle cans and bottles but the unionists and their media lackies can recycle this Scotland is s### propaganda whenever they want.
Golfnut.
LikeLiked by 5 people
BBC Scotland – Little more that a propaganda outfit masquerading as a real Broadcaster.
And they still expect us to pay them for this obvious garbage!
LikeLiked by 1 person
O/T and many apologies
I am incensed so I need to vent and release my anger.
Israel’s (Netanyahu’s) main man in the UK, that is Sir Keir Starmer, has come out (yet again) to defend Israel and attack those in opposition to Israel (Netanyahu).
Where before, during Israel’s (Netanyahu’s) constant bombing of innocent civilians in Palestine, resulting in their many many deaths, Sir Keir Starmer managed to contain himself and so he did not feel so compelled to express feelings of horror and condemnation in him making a public statement at a podium against Israel’s (Netanyahu’s) actions.
But we saw yesterday that Starmer felt so strongly about the attack on Israel by Iran, that he was compelled to make a public statement at a podium, (with the compulsory presence of the British symbol that is a Union Jack flag placed behind him but very much still in shot ) to express his condemnation at Iran launching missiles at civilian targets in Israel.
Of course Keir Starmer , like many others, wants us the public to ignore all of the previous hostility and aggression shown by Israel (Netanyahu) towards innocent civilian Palestinians and also where they, Israel (Netanyahu), then chose to extend their (his Netanyahu’s ) attacks beyond Palestine and into other regions within the middle east.
Starmer made his (undignified) public statement yesterday in support of Israel (Netanyahu) while condemning Iran.
(While he was trying (badly) to very much look like a PM who meant serious business as opposed to a PM whose party, as the current recently elected UK government, was tanking in the public opinion polls due to a variety of scandal type stories linked to him as the current PM and also to some of his Cabinet Ministers as in those chosen by him. Also we have witnessed the many poor ,as in #BAD policy decisions , made by them, Labour, since coming to power as the UK government in July of this year).
So here is some of what he said last night.
“Good evening. In the last few hours the Iranian regime has launched over 200 Ballistic missiles at civilian targets in Israel. It’s too soon to assess the impact but I utterly condemn this attempt by the Iranian regime to harm innocent Israelis”.
( Yet he, Starmer, was prepared to support and accept Israel’s huge impact on Palestinians in him ignoring the Israeli (Netanyahu) regime in their far too many military attempts on Palestine -and where they succeeded- in harming and killing thousands of innocent Palestinians. Then he , Starmer, chose to always take sides with Israel (Netanyahu) in this Israeli (Netanyahu) conflict with the Palestinian people but always promoted by the UK media (and UK politicians) as only being an Israel war with and against Hamas).
He then continued by saying:
“To escalate this incredibly dangerous situation and push the region ever closer to the brink”
(Sorry who is it that has escalated this situation ? As I and many others thought it was Israel (Netanyahu) who had escalated this “dangerous situation” and also Israel (Netanyahu) who had “pushed the region ever closer to the brink”).
Then he said:
“It cannot be tolerated”
(Would that be in the way that Starmer was willing to tolerate Israel’s (Netanyahu’s and the IDF’s ) aggression and violence against innocent Palestinians as Labour are of course one of the many British political parties who are all “Friends of Israel” but not so much friendly with Palestine).
(As there also exists Liberal Democrats Friends of Israel and also Conservative Friends of Israel)
Starmer then said “We stand with Israel and we recognise her right to self defence in the face of this aggression”
( Who is this “we” as I do not stand “with Israel (Netanyahu)”)
That is I do not stand with the Israel that is controlled by the likes of the current right wing Netanyahu regime , I do however stand with innocent Israeli people who are also victims, because of their own government continuing to put them at more risk because of their won government’s constant aggression towards others in this region.
So he, Starmer, does not speak for me and I wonder how is it considered “self defence” when Israel (Netanyahu) have (has) instigated most of the aggression and violence against others in this conflict while they (Netanyahu) ignored the rest of the world ‘asking’ them- him as in Netanyahu- to cease and desist ?)
Then Starmer said “Iran must stop these attacks” (yet Starmer failed to be so forthright in telling Israel to “stop” their “Attacks” upon Palestinians indeed one could regard him as being most reticent in his (non) demands that Israel must “Stop their attacks on Palestinians”).
Then he said “We support Israel’s reasonable demands” (“reasonable” sorry I must have missed something as when has Israel , under Netanyahu and also with the over aggressive tactics of the IDF, ever been “reasonable”).
So like many many others within the UK then I have to say that
‘Sir Keir Starmer does not speak for me’
Keir Starmer’s was made very conspicuous by his lack of venting any similar forceful statements that condemned Israel (Netanyahu and the IDF) during their incessant bombing of areas where Palestinians civilians were that also included the deaths of “civilian” women and children.
Indeed as of September 2024 it was reported that 43,431 Palestinians were killed while 1706 Israel people died in the conflict (or aggression by Israel -Netanyahu and the IDF- that even preceded (existed) long before the October 7th 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Casualties of Israel’s (Netanyahu’s) bombing included civilians, Journalists of various nationalities, Health & Aid workers of various nationalities and of course the deaths of three British victims of an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
All deaths are tragic irrespective of the persons nationality, whether they be Israelis , Palestinians or indeed any other nationality in this ‘conflict’.
However what incenses me is the hypocrisy and the tactical interventions of people like Keir Starmer who limit their public interventions, condemnation and disgust only at specific targets that they do not favour.
While they are quite prepared to seemingly condone and very much support what has been years and years of Israeli suppression and aggression towards the Palestinian people under the leadership of people like Netanyahu. (with the support -blessing- of countries like the fake country that is Britain and also the USA too).
So when Keir Starmer stands at a podium and says that he “speaks for the British people” I can say categorically that he, Keir Starmer, in defending Israel , under Netanyahu’s right wing regime of a government while being aided by the brutal IDF, does not speak for me.
(Either in this instance in support of Netanyahu or indeed ever as I do not regard him (or any British National PM) as my country’s PM as I do not regard myself as being either British or indeed ever a supporter of the Labour party or any other British Nationalist pro UK party).
#SirKeirStarmerDoesNotSpeakForMeNowOr Ever
Sorry Prof Robertson, as I know this comment is way way off topic regarding this article but I am sickened by Sir Keir Starmer who seems, as a politician, very very very selective in what his supposed principles are , in that those he allegedly has (not), and also with whom he is willing to show his allegiance to and for. (which many a time are to those and for those that I do not support).
LikeLiked by 1 person
*“Keir Starmer’s was made very conspicuous by his lack of venting any similar forceful statements that condemned Israel (Netanyahu and the IDF) during their incessant bombing of areas where Palestinians civilians were that also included the deaths of “civilian” women and children.
Keir Starmer’s was made very conspicuous by his lack of venting any similar forceful statements that condemned Israel (Netanyahu and the IDF) during their incessant bombing of areas where Palestinians civilians were included in the death tally which also included those “civilians” who were innocent women and children.
LikeLike
John I have to hand it to you and contributers for the work you do in debunking the lies and propaganda perpetrated against Scotland and the SNP government by the government at Westminster. Thanks for all you do.
There’s so much to keep up with, and your time and effort is much appreciated. Thank you.
Is it world thank you day today or something? It should be. 😉
LikeLike