In typical fashion, Scotland’s excitable journos leapt on the stories of the masses pouring into the Luss car park and parking on the verges in Glencoe. In the Herald yesterday: The first weekend of the Covid lockdown easing in Scotland saw an explosion in almost every form of travel. Statistics from Transport Scotland showed car travel on tourist routes up 110 per cent on the previous Saturday and Sunday. Asked about the events, the First Minister was calm and so she should be. This has all the makings of a moral panic where minor acts of deviance are amplified by the media into a … Continue reading Traffic ‘surges’ much exaggerated by media

Brenda Steele: I was reading around on-line blog as is my wont and I came across an article on Mungins New Republic about our new under-overlord from Milton Keynes – Ian Stewart.  The article spoke of the resignation of Douglas Ross from this position.  This brought to mind a conversation with a friend and so I promptly commented as follows: There is this: Moray was pretty clear for a long time then there was an outbreak. That is Mr Ross’s constituency is it not? How do the dates fit? The locals will probably know. So it might explain his resignation … Continue reading Due to Data Protection laws, Health Protection/ScotGov cannot announce who what where has Covid-19, so are they alerting the public indirectly?

It’s not a competition. This immature reporting in the Herald and BBC Scotland shames those who generate it. Here is the news that matters: The number of deaths in care homes fell for a fifth week, by 56 to 68. https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/covid19/covid-deaths-report-week-22.pdf The overall numbers of cases and deaths have been falling for several weeks to levels allowing gradual loosening of the lock-down: Infections in care homes are in steep decline: Continue reading Care home and hospital deaths fall to new low

From Channel 4 yesterday based on leaked data: Across England, 4,456 confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported to test and trace during this time [Thursday to Sunday]. Of those, 1,831 had self-registered on the website or been called and completed the NHS Test and Trace form providing information about their contacts. Between them, they provided 4,634 contacts – of which only 1,749 have been contacted. The figures reveal that the total number of confirmed cases reported to NHS Test and Trace is significantly lower than what we know to be the rate of infection – and that fewer than 2,000 contacts … Continue reading England’s ‘world-beating’ test and trace system fails to trace 70% of contacts

The Scotsman commonly conceals the political affiliations of their columnists: John McLellan, Conservative Gina Davidson, Labour Biran Monteith, Brexit Now, older readers will remember that Brian Wilson is New Labour but Murdo Fraser is only a list Conservative MSP, so maybe less well-known. Readers should know where the writer is ‘coming from’, so Fraser is a Tory but also Orange. It’s a free country but of interest I think when evaluating his writing. Today he joins a few others given space by the Scotsman, the Herald and BBC Scotland to argue that it’s lucky we didn’t go solo back in … Continue reading Scotsman’s Orange Correspondent favours the Union. Bear seen heading for woods carrying bog-roll.

The Guardian today enthuses: The UK’s electricity system recorded its “greenest” ever month in May after running without coal-fired electricity for a full calendar month. The National Grid, the energy system operator, said the country’s sunniest spring on record helped generate enough solar power to reduce the carbon intensity of the grid to its lowest level ever recorded. The bright and breezy weather helped wind and solar power make up about 28% of Britain’s electricity last month, narrowly behind gas-fired power generation, which made up 30% of the energy mix.  The report doesn’t mention Scotland. Why should it mention Scotland? Just … Continue reading Scotland fuels UK’s first ever coal-free electricity month yet must pay for the privilege

4% of the population yet only 1% of the Covid-19 deaths In the Herald today: Matt Hancock has insisted “black lives matter” as he published a new review which found black, Asian and minority ethnic people were at significantly higher risk of dying from the coronavirus. The study, from Public Health England, looked at the risk factors for coronavirus and found BAME individuals had a much higher risk of death than white people as do those from poorer backgrounds, men and anyone who is obese or suffering from diabetes. Might a writer for a Scottish newspaper ask the obvious question as to the … Continue reading Why are Covid deaths 4 times more common among ‘white’ Scots than BAME groups

Readers may remember the BBC Scotland health correspondent referring to Tayside’s oncology department as ‘dysfunctional’ after they used a lower chemotherapy dose but when it emerged that the patient outcomes were no different, forgetting to apologise. Before that their mental health services had been exposed as supposedly abusive, based on one whistle-blower and an investigation by a legal expert who clearly knew nothing of research methods and generated an enormous but largely padded report. And before that, when they had sacked a senior member of staff for financial, not-criminal, misjudgements, they spent days on the case with reports peppered by … Continue reading NHS Tayside treats 98% of emergency patients within 4 hours and is second-best in UK!

The target is 95%! There have been calls for the Health Secretary to resign. From NHS Scotland: 94.9% of attendances at A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. 163 (0.3%) patients spent more than 8 hours in an A&E department. 14 (<0.1%) patients spent more than 12 hours in an A&E department. 33.2% of attendances led to an admission to hospital. https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-services/hospital-care/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ In England, 87.2% were seen in 4 hours up from 76.2% in March. There have been calls for Matt Hancock to get an award. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2020-21/ Continue reading NHS Scotland only treats 94.9% of emergency patients within 4 hours!

From stewartb: On 1 June the Edinburgh Evening News provided Ian Murray with a platform once again to demonstrate simple acceptance of Scotland’s lack of agency – of Scotland’s democratic deficit – within this ‘precious Union’. Source: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/edinburgh-would-be-hardest-hit-double-whammy-coronavirus-and-no-deal-brexit-2869895 ‘Agency – the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment’ Mr Murray’s latest contribution is based on a new report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) (see link below). It considers the likely economic impact of coronavirus and of different Brexit outcomes on the economies of the UK, its nations, regions and local areas. Mr Murray is reported as … Continue reading Facing ‘catastrophe’ – who needs agency when a Tory promise should suffice? … in the world of Mr Ian Murray MP