Year: 2025

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So when will bills come down?

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By Liz S Research that is NOT “Good news” for Anas Sarwar and Labour. (that, as a situation, is now becoming a habitual position for Sarwar and Labour) I looked on MSM Monitor Twitter account. He has a video where in a September 2024 Radio interview the BBC’s Gary Robertson asks a straight forward direct Q that should then have received a straight forward direct answer from the interviewee, Anas Sarwar. However instead this is what was given as a response to the Q asked by Gary Robertson which was as a Q: “Can you tell us when Bills will start to come down … Continue reading So when will bills come down?

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A&E in Scotland – 17% better than NHS England, fewest waiting more than 4 hours, for more than a year and fewest waiting more than 12 hours, for 4 months

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Accident and emergency Accredited official statistics for February 2025, published by Public Health Scotland today, for Type 1, full emergency departments: 818,710 (68.2%) of type 1 attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours (compared to 18,082 (67.5%) the previous week, and 17,357 (64.7%) weekly average for 2024). and the above table, showing the number waiting 4 hours or more has been falling for the 4th month in a row and is the lowest for more than a year and the number waiting 12 hours or more has been falling for the 4th month … Continue reading A&E in Scotland – 17% better than NHS England, fewest waiting more than 4 hours, for more than a year and fewest waiting more than 12 hours, for 4 months

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‘Bed-blocking’ falls for third month in a row

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: In February 2025 the average number of beds occupied per day due to people delayed in hospital was 1,946. Compared to the previous three months, this is less than January 2025 (1,964), December 2024 (1,991) and November 2024 (2,023). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-february-2025/main-points/ What could be enabling this? This? Continue reading ‘Bed-blocking’ falls for third month in a row

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98% target-busting by NHS Scotland – IVF, drug and alcohol treatment and now planned operations – but all ignored by the media

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair From Public Health Scotland today: In the 12 months from March 2024 to February 2025, there was a 1.4% increase (+4,009) in the number of planned operations compared to the previous 12 months. Of all planned operations during February 2025 in NHSScotland, 707 (3%) were cancelled by the hospital for clinical reasons, 731 (3.1%) were cancelled by the patient, 420 (1.8%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, and 70 (0.3%) were cancelled for other reasons. Patients and doctors change their minds about surgery. They’re entitled to. … Continue reading 98% target-busting by NHS Scotland – IVF, drug and alcohol treatment and now planned operations – but all ignored by the media

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The type of information that we shouldn’t HAVE to search for

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By JB This is interesting for more information. The type of information that we shouldn’t HAVE to search for….Led and funded by the Scottish Government, Peatland Action is a national programme to restore peatland across Scotland. Since 2012 The Peatland ACTION Programme has set over 51,000 ha of degraded peatland on the road to recovery. https://www.nature.scot/doc/peatland-action-annual-review-2023-2024 In April 2019 The Scottish Government lead the nation in declaring a global climate emergency. In recognition that peatland restoration offers a clear nature-based solution to both the climate crisis and biodiversity loss the Scottish Government announced, early the following year, a multi-annual investment in peatland restoration of more … Continue reading The type of information that we shouldn’t HAVE to search for

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Rail fares to go up by shocking 21% more in England than in Scotland despite far fewer views like this

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Professor John Robertson OBA, Travel Correspondent BBC Scotland this morning, on various cost-of-living increases in the next few days felt the need to remind us that Scotrail fares had gone up ‘nearly 4%.’ That was 3.8% on 31 January 2025. Back then, they had also felt the need to tell us all this: Opposition parties said the price rise would “hammer” passengers who would be “dismayed” at having to pay more despite regular disruption to rail services. Scottish Labour’s transport spokeswoman Claire Baker said the price increase would “hammer” rail passengers and “consign ScotRail to a spiral of decline”. She … Continue reading Rail fares to go up by shocking 21% more in England than in Scotland despite far fewer views like this

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Scottish Government enables planning consent for largest ever UK pumped hydro scheme

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Professor John Robertson OBA From PV Magazine, today: Gilkes Energy has secured planning consent for a 1.8 GW/40 GWh pumped hydro energy storage project, the largest of its kind to date in the United Kingdom. The Earba Pumped Storage Hydro project is located at Loch Earba in the Scottish Highlands, around 200 km north of Glasgow on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park. The proposed development would operate by transferring water between Loch Earba and an upper reservoir, Loch Leamhain. When the project’s upper reservoir is full, it would have enough storage capacity to generate 22 hours of electricity … Continue reading Scottish Government enables planning consent for largest ever UK pumped hydro scheme

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Latest research – London School of Economics say 700,000 children could be lifted out of poverty by following Scotland’s approach but no media coverage in ‘trusted’ Herald

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the LSE two days ago, the above, being carefully ignored by the BBC and UK MSM, and: Recent days have seen a round of cuts announced to social security, which the UK Government’s own impact assessment shows will increase poverty. But new analysis shows that the Westminster government could cut child poverty in the UK by a sixth if they were to match Scotland’s investment in social security. The analysis comes as the annual poverty statistics show that a growing gap is emerging between the poverty rates of Scottish children, when compared to those in … Continue reading Latest research – London School of Economics say 700,000 children could be lifted out of poverty by following Scotland’s approach but no media coverage in ‘trusted’ Herald

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More than 80% of measles infections linked to imported cases and rest of unknown origin as immunisation levels in Scotland climb again to herd immunity level

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Quarterly uptake rates in Scotland have gradually declined over time. However, in the latest quarter ending September 2024, there have been small increases in levels of protection for children aged 12 and 24 months, compared with the previous quarter. https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2024/#:~:text=This%20release%20by%20Public%20Health%20Scotland%20%28PHS%29%20provides,the%20spread%20of%20disease%20in%20the%20wider%20population. Where have these cases come from? From Public Health Scotland on 4 March 2025: Immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases quarterly report, October to December 2024 (Q4) There were 24 laboratory-confirmed measles cases reported in 2024: six cases in the first quarter, eight cases in the second quarter, five cases in the third quarter and five cases in the fourth quarter. Of … Continue reading More than 80% of measles infections linked to imported cases and rest of unknown origin as immunisation levels in Scotland climb again to herd immunity level

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News you won’t hear – Labour Government cuts life-saving AI cancer tech funding as Glasgow pushes on with it to save lives

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today, the above and: Ministers have cut millions of pounds of funding for potentially life saving AI cancer technology in England, which cancer experts warn will increase waiting times and could cause more patients to die. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/31/ridiculous-cuts-to-ai-cancer-tech-funding-in-england-could-cost-lives-experts-warn From NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, a site avoided by BBC Scotland and local Labour politicians, Anas Sarwar or Jackie Baillie, in November 2024: A woman whose lung cancer was detected with the help of Artificial Intelligence has praised the “incredible” speed of her diagnosis and treatment. Diane … Continue reading News you won’t hear – Labour Government cuts life-saving AI cancer tech funding as Glasgow pushes on with it to save lives