Year: 2025

2 Comments

England’s NHS underperformance day, bed-blocking and road deaths set BBC Scotland an impossible task to match the misery – second bed-blocking and community care

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS BBC UK today is focusing on what they are calling ‘NHS Performance Day.’ Their tone suggests they already know the figures are going to be bad and they clearly intend to consider … Continue reading England’s NHS underperformance day, bed-blocking and road deaths set BBC Scotland an impossible task to match the misery – second bed-blocking and community care

2 Comments

England’s NHS underperformance day, bed-blocking, community care and road deaths set BBC Scotland an impossible task to match the misery – first the NHS

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Today, NHS England’s performance data come in and the omens, judging by the media attention, are bad. I’ll do a direct comparison later. For the moment, a reminder of the numerous sets … Continue reading England’s NHS underperformance day, bed-blocking, community care and road deaths set BBC Scotland an impossible task to match the misery – first the NHS

3 Comments

The other SNP iPad story you won’t hear – a game-changer in education, the narrowing of the attainment gaps and the increased attainment of the most disadvantaged

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson Professor John Robertson OBA, former Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, UWS No doubt, you’re thinking of the Michael Matheson iPad story thoroughly plastered across moronic media for months on end but there’s another SNP iPad story, getting local press coverage but, as far … Continue reading The other SNP iPad story you won’t hear – a game-changer in education, the narrowing of the attainment gaps and the increased attainment of the most disadvantaged

9 Comments

Scotland’s media and the trade unions before and after the rise of the SNP

johnrobertson834

My February 2025 column in Scots Independent The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson Professor John Robertson OBA Before the rise of the SNP, trade unions had very little presence in the media other than in being presented as hate figures whose industrial actions spoiled or risked … Continue reading Scotland’s media and the trade unions before and after the rise of the SNP

3 Comments

Worried about your child at University? Everywhere across the UK is more dangerous, often much more so, than anywhere in Scotland, including Oxford and Cambridge

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS I did this years ago and have been meaning to do it again. From the Complete University Guide – How safe is your city? published in March 2024, the above table, shows … Continue reading Worried about your child at University? Everywhere across the UK is more dangerous, often much more so, than anywhere in Scotland, including Oxford and Cambridge

11 Comments

Massive recent research study finds significantly higher risks for ALL cancers, especially among the under-5s, in those living less than 20 miles from nuclear power stations to show Scottish Labour’s support for them as a betrayal

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS Prompted by current controversy over the new Australian government’s plans for new nuclear power stations and warnings from doctors there of the huge health risks, I’ve had a look at the main research study being used by critics – Health Effects of Occupational and Environmental Exposures to Nuclear Power Plants: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression in Current Environmental Health Reports, 18 June 2024. Using 30km (18m) as as the defined distance for ‘local residency’, the researchers found: We identified 47 studies, 13 with worker and 34 with resident samples, covering 175 nuclear power … Continue reading Massive recent research study finds significantly higher risks for ALL cancers, especially among the under-5s, in those living less than 20 miles from nuclear power stations to show Scottish Labour’s support for them as a betrayal

5 Comments

Not one anti-semitic violent attack recorded in Scotland in 2024 and only one misogynistic leaflet in ‘Northern Scotland’ is mentioned in report

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS The report on anti-semitic attacks in the UK in 2024, from the CST, published today has prompted some excited media coverage but not, yet, in Scotland. Watch out for the Herald to … Continue reading Not one anti-semitic violent attack recorded in Scotland in 2024 and only one misogynistic leaflet in ‘Northern Scotland’ is mentioned in report

1 Comment

‘Controversial’ physician associates more than twice as common in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS The role of physician associates [PA] is at the centre of controversy this week as the BMA sues the GMC over how they are to be described. What are PAs? Physician associates (PAs) are medically trained [but not full MD training], generalist healthcare professionals who work with doctors in multidisciplinary teams to provide medical care. PAs are dependent practitioners working with a dedicated supervisor but can also work independently on specific tasks.1 Scotland’s media seem disinterested, … Continue reading ‘Controversial’ physician associates more than twice as common in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

2 Comments

Sky House Abuse – This media feeding frenzy in a psychiatric unit for adolescents is a new low in ethical standards across journalism in Scotland

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Primary School Teacher, Education Lecturer, Associate Dean and Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS I’ve held back from commenting on the sad reports from the Skye House psychiatric unit for 11-18 year-olds, in Glasgow, but it’s clear that the media are in a sickening feeding frenzy on the reports by three teenagers, former patients, of abusive behaviour by staff there. No one else seems prepared to speak on behalf of the staff and the unit. So, three teenagers reported abusive behaviour by nurses including mocking suicide attempts. Skye House supports 24 patients and has been doing so for … Continue reading Sky House Abuse – This media feeding frenzy in a psychiatric unit for adolescents is a new low in ethical standards across journalism in Scotland

8 Comments

Here are the most important NHS pandemic recovery figures they’re hiding from you

johnrobertson834

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Faculty Research Ethics Chair, UWS It’s constant, I’m sure you know, this kind of thing with Sarwar, Baillie and others frothing over selective figures: From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios October 2023 to September 2024 published today, clear evidence of an … Continue reading Here are the most important NHS pandemic recovery figures they’re hiding from you