Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland’s 12 top stories today with no mention of this: I feel sure BBC Scotland’s Health Correspondent, Lisa Summers, gets the Nursing Times so why is this not in the public interest? In April, the offer was reported but only enable this grudging comment: It could also mean Holyrood ministers having to find the extra funding from elsewhere in their budget. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9e28kj9meo This is a deliberate editorial decision to deny BBC Scotland’s audience anything that might make them feel better about Scotland, the Scottish Government or, of course the SNP. Continue reading Why is BBC Scotland not reporting thousands of NHS staff accepting a pay rise to maintain Scotland unique strike-free health care over several years?

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above further evidence of UK Labour’s real intentions for the NHS – allow it to fail then sell it off. Meanwhile in Scotland, to zero media coverage: From Public Health Scotland on 24 November 2024, the above graph showing a reducing number waiting for diagnostic tests for the last three quarters, a steady fall since the peak in early 2022, and this for the quarter ending 30 September 2024 [most recent data]: When compared to the previous quarter-end, six of the eight key diagnostic tests saw a decrease in the number of ongoing waits reported. … Continue reading 9 months in and UK Labour oversees massive private sector out-sourcing of x-rays while NHS Scotland cuts waiting times for third time

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today, the above has no mention of Scotland but it’s clearly just a third reason why Scots should be glad to have avoided Conservative or Labour control for so long. The other two reasons are fire and flood. 2. Flood – click on the heading below for full report Continue reading 18 years of protection from fire, flood and now higher energy bills due to poor building standards

Professor John Robertson OBA From the Royal College of Nursing, yesterday: An ‘explosion’ in nurse lecturer redundancies and severances shows the higher education financial crisis is spreading through nursing courses in England and posing a risk to domestic workforce plans, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warns today [15 May]. Ahead of the release of a new report into the nurse educator workforce in England, the College says the crisis is a real threat to the domestic supply of nurses into the workforce – just days after the government announced immigration plans which could lead to an exodus of international … Continue reading Will Scottish Labour propose similar NHS England cuts to nurse training in Scotland where we still train TWICE as many, per head as they do?

Professor John Robertson OBA From the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland inserts in BBC Breakfast today, two very different editorial judgements of what folk need to know as they rise to face the new day. In Scotland, they hear of: Three negative reports on public services which can be linked to Scottish Government responsibility, selected by the editor, and of course missing context (see below). In Wales, they hear of: Three negative reports but not on core public services and not a trace of responsibility for the Welsh Government. On this basis, Scots have a lot to be concerned about … Continue reading BBC Wales and Scotland today – two very different worlds to wake to

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: The NHS’s total liabilities for medical negligence have hit an “astounding” £58.2bn amid ministers’ failure to improve patient safety, an influential group of MPs have warned. The PAC urged ministers to take urgent steps to reduce “tragic incidences of patient harm” and to also end a situation where lawyers take an “astronomical” 19% of the compensation awarded to those who are successful in suing the NHS. That amounted to £536m of the £2.8bn that the health service in England paid out in damages in … Continue reading NHS England paying out nearly FIVE TIMES as much for medical negligence as NHS Scotland because of this

if it’s not to hold back economic opportunities across Scotland, according to a new report. The economy forum Prosper says there needs to be more construction. By Professor John Robertson OBA What does Prosper represent? At their conference on 29th May, coming, the keynote speaker is the leader of the third party, perhaps the fourth party in 2026: Facts not being mentioned: House building, in 2024 is 25% up on the lowest level in 2013 From Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end September 2024, new starts are at the lowest in a decade but completions, actual building, is … Continue reading SNP steadily building far more affordable homes than Scottish Labour in 2007 or Welsh Labour today

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald yesterday: There are less teachers in Scottish schools but what really matters, and the Herald writer knows is is the pupil teacher ratio. There were 57 500 state school teachers in Scotland in 2007. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11314736 There were 53 412 state school teachers in Scotland in 2024. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/ How has the ratio of pupils to teachers changed? Barely. In 2008 it was 12.9, in 2017 it was 13.6, and in 2024 it was 13.3. https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2024/pages/school-teachers/#:~:text=Figure%204%20shows%20pupil%20teacher%20ratios%20%28PTRs%29%20which,2023.%20The%20lowest%20PTR%20was%2012.9%20in%202008. https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/ And the ratios elsewhere in UK? Pupil to teacher ratios were lowest in Scotland (13.2), and similar in Northern … Continue reading Scottish Labour council tries to increase pupil teacher ratio in schools to level in England and Wales