Professor John Robertson OBA
BBC Reporting Scotland last night had the above, missing key facts on vaccine uptake and the resilience of NHS Scotland. Here they are:
Scottish Government significantly widened access to free flu vaccine to give more than twice as many, per capita, protection from worrying new mutation
First, availability in England – you can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:
- are aged 65 or over (including those who will be 65 by 31 March 2026)
- have certain long-term health conditions
- are pregnant
- live in a care home
- are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer’s allowance
- live with someone who has a weakened immune system
Source: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/
In Scotland, significantly wider free availability is in place
This includes:
- those aged 65 and over (on or before 31 March 2025)
- those aged 18 to 64 with an eligible health condition (as defined in the chapter 19 of the Green Book)
- those who are pregnant
- those living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility
- those living with someone who has a weakened immune system
- an unpaid or young carer
- a frontline health or social care worker
- a non-frontline NHS worker
- a poultry worker or bird handler
- an asylum seeker living in a Home Office hotel or B&B accommodation
- those experiencing homelessness
- those experiencing substance misuse
- those living in a Scottish prison
Second, uptake-levels in key groups are already significantly lower in key >65 group in England.
For 2024-2025, early trends show Scotland with stronger uptake among over-65s (71.6% vs. England’s ~60-65% estimated based on historical patterns) – multiple sources at: https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1987603360061788291
Perhaps most indicative of the risk is the number of doses given and the contrast is shocking.
NHS Scotland has given 927 000 doses so far (down 20% on last year’s total): https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/viral-respiratory-diseases-in-scotland-surveillance-report/viral-respiratory-diseases-in-scotland-surveillance-report-6-november-2025/
All things being equal, we might expect the figure in England to be around 9.27 million but it was only 4.3million: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-6-november-2025-week-45
So, less than half the Scottish uptake per capita, in England, reflecting the wider free availability, above.
Has any journalist in Scotland noticed this?
NHS Scotland nearly 30% more beds, per head, than NHS England, to cope better with future pandemics
From Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (annual) Year ending 31 March 2025 published today:
In 2024/25, the average number of available staffed beds per day for acute specialties was 13,717 – a 0.3% decrease on the previous year (2023/24) and a 3.7% increase compared to five years ago (2019/20).
From NHS England’s Bed Availability and Occupancy Data (KH03 collection) for Quarter 4 2024/25 (January to March 2025), published on the NHS England statistics website:
106,068 is the total number of available general and acute beds (overnight) in NHS England for Quarter 4 of 2024/25 (January to March 2025), the most recent full quarter as of September 30, 2025.
All things being equal, per head, pro rata, NHS England might be expected to have around 10 times as many beds as NHS Scotland, 137 000, but had only 106 000, 31 000 fewer.
This NHS Scotland has, per head, 29.2% more beds than NHS England.
Might that have played a part in Scotland having a far lower Covid 19 pandemic death rate?
When adjusted for population (deaths per 100,000 people), the rates were closer: England (260 per 100,000), Wales (260), Scotland (190), and Northern Ireland (170). England and Wales had the highest rates overall. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_in_the_United_Kingdom
Scotland has 71% more nurses
In England there were nearly seven nurses per 1,000 people, while there were nearly 12 per 1,000 in Scotland. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/uk-fewer-nurses-per-head-33961132
OMG if the Daily Record doesn’t attempt to hide that, it must be true!
So, 5 more than 7 per 1 000 people, is 71.4%
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Someone needs to gag the obnoxious excuse for a human being, She is totally against SNP and during the pandemic, along with George Foulkes managed to have Nicola’s daily Covid briefings taken off air by BBC. However, we managed to have them reinstated.
She brings out the absolute worst in me.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Isn’t it about time that BBC Scotland confirmed that Damn Jaikie Baillie has been on their payroll for years ?
Despite their efforts to cover up her employment with Pacific Quay , her poor grasp of facts , her misinformation , her dire delivery and her complete lack of journalistic integrity clearly mark her as a product of the HMS James Cook school of ”I have seen the email” lying b*stards !
LikeLiked by 2 people
When isn’t Jackie Baillie blowing a big bubble of lies? It is her permanent position.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“Winter is here and the SNP is not prepared. Waiting times are too long, corridor care is too common, and it will only get worse as winter continues. It is time for a new direction.”
These British Labour Party politicians in Scotland really take the biscuit, really are egregious and hypocritical when it comes to the NHS. These are characteristics the mainstream media in Scotland – the BBC, STV, The Herald, the Daily Record etc. – allow them to display without much detriment..
From a press statement from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) on November 21 : “Dismaying”: RCEM Wales demands action following worst October on record for A&E waits.’
The RCEM statement has this: ‘Another record month for 12-hour waits in Welsh Emergency Departments (EDs) is “dismaying”, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says as it demands more support from policymakers.’ (my emphasis)
In the Welsh context, the policy makers of very longstanding have been British Labour Party politicians.
The latest performance data for major Welsh EDs, released November 21 by Stats Wales, shows that ‘one in every seven people waited more than 12 hours before being admitted, discharged or transferred in October 2025’ – i.e. 14.3%. The RCEM explains that this is ‘an increase of 4% compared to last October, despite attendances only rising by 1.8%’ ‘.
The RCEM also notes that in Wales: 24.8% waited eight or more hours in October 2025 and just 53.9% of patients were admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours.
Dr Rob Perry, RCEM Vice President for Wales is quoted: “It is dismaying to see yet another worst month on record”.
But why oh why has Labour in Wales NOT enacted the Sarwar/Baillie ‘change’ i.e. their much vaunted Labour ‘fix’ for the NHS?
And what about NHS England? From the RCEM on November: ‘It’s a political failure’: England’s EDs experience second worst October on record for 12 hour waits.’
The RCEM’s statement reports: one in nine patients spent 12 hours or more to be admitted, discharged or transferred from a major Emergency Department in October – i.e. 11.1% – ‘the second highest number on record for the month of October’ (NHS England does not report monthly on eight hour waits) and 60.1% were seen within the target of four hours.
Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine is quoted: “Earlier this week, NHS Chief Executive Sir Jim Mackey, said ‘there’s no doubt’ this winter will be one of the toughest the health service has faced. “And he’s right: this winter is shaping up to be awful for our patients and staff.
“Long waits are already increasing, and so too are delayed discharges. It’s a deeply worrying trend on the cusp of winter.” (My emphasis)
And the RCEM president goes on: “At the end of the month, the government will be delivering its budget. The Chancellor has already flagged the government will aim to bring down waiting lists for planned care, and we hope to see a commitment to tackle waits in our departments for patients who didn’t plan to be with us. This requires a political commitment to invest in hospital and social care capacity, which has been missing for a long time and remains that way. That’s why it’s a political failure.”
The upcoming budget may be a ‘red herring’ of course: after all the ‘change’ proposed by Sarwar/Baillie for Scotland seems to offer the Chancellor and the UK government’s health secretary the prospect of a cheap, quick fix. Doesn’t it?
And from the RCEM on November 14: ‘RCEM welcomes £20 million investment to tackle Scotland’s challenging winter ahead’. (Candidly, it’s not often the RCEM frames comments on Scotland positively!)
It notes: ’Responding to the Scottish government’s £20 million funding announcement to boost social care capacity this winter, alongside its National Planning for Winter and Surge Pressures in Health and Social Care, unveiled this week (13 November 2025), RCEM Vice President for Scotland Dr Fiona Hunter said: “We welcome and recognise this much needed investment into social care.” (My emphasis)
It appears that the RCEM is acknowledging here an appropriate response to its own prior demand of the Scottish Government, made on November 4, for a ‘tangible plan for winter’. Rather contradicts the Baillie claim.
And for (often repeated) perspective, in September one in 19 patients attending an emergency department in Scotland spent 12 hour or more. In November the equivalent number in Wales was one in seven and in England, one in nine. Just 12.5% of patients had an eight hour wait in September in Scotland’s EDs whilst in October the figure for NHS Wales was 24.8%.
Yes,still too many experience long waits in Scotland but these are big differences! However, they appear to be of no interest and of no relevance to mainstream media organisations opposed to the SNP. And as a consequence, the egregious and the hypocritical are enabled to continue without detriment to their media profile.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Liars always get found out. Lying, lying Labour/unionists.
LikeLiked by 1 person
At the risk of boring all of you again, it doesn’t matter the subject manner, the one object of the lies is to prevent the people of Scotland from knowing the truth about the state of public services in our country. Why? Because if the true picture was known, then a vast number would be more in favour of Independence than there is at present. Simply, that can not be allowed to happen, because England depends of nearly all of the riches we possess. So, the British State, aided by their traitors/Quislings amongst us ,and helped by a corrupt British media,( there is no such entity as a “Scottish” media) are trying to ensure that their untruths reach as wide an audience as possible, and it has to be said they are doing a good job, so far. Remember, the headline says it all, and the Westminster funded, whether it be organisations, or people, make sure their voices are heard by shouting the loudest, helped by their main cheerleader, B.B.C Scotland News. The latest opinion polls show that Farage, and Reform U.K, look to be favourites to be the next Prime Minister/U.K Government, so is we don’t achieve Independence quickly, if you think this Labour Government is bad, and it is, then just wait. I dread to think of a future for our young people if that comes to pass. Believe me, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person