Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Don’t go in the water – Cancer and stroke inducing radioactive air and water emissions from Trident subs more than double in the Clyde as BBC staff look on quietly

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to cuckooshoe for alerting me to this: From CND on 6th November 2024, missed by me at the time and, of course, ignored by the staff at BBC Pacific Quay on those very same winds and waters. Radioactive air emissions have been increasing year-on-year at Coulport one of Britain’s nuclear submarine bases in Scotland. This development is of some concern as it would lead to increased health risks wherever the emissions were inhaled.  According to the Scottish Pollution Release Inventory, tritiated water vapour emissions at Coulport were 1.7 billion becquerels (units of radioactivity) in … Continue reading Don’t go in the water – Cancer and stroke inducing radioactive air and water emissions from Trident subs more than double in the Clyde as BBC staff look on quietly

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Shocking research reveals 23 health trusts in England ‘consistently reporting higher-than-average deaths’ – none reported in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Someone shared this link with me but I can’t find them now so apologies to them. From Recurring red flags: a retrospective study of MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance (2015–21) to identify maternity services most consistently reporting higher-than-average deaths in Journal of Public Health, February 2025: This study aimed to identify hospital trusts in England most consistently reporting higher-than-average rates of extended perinatal mortality (EPM), including stillbirths and neonatal deaths. We conducted a retrospective study of MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortality Surveillance Reports (2015–21) comparing EPM rates for births occurring in 124 hospital trusts in England between 2013 … Continue reading Shocking research reveals 23 health trusts in England ‘consistently reporting higher-than-average deaths’ – none reported in Scotland

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BBC Kent do not ask Labour Government, Health Secretary or local MP why A&E patients sit in their faeces for up to 50 hours – Imagine that in Scotland?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Kent today: Frail patients ‘told to soil themselves’ at A&E – Frail patients at a Kent hospital emergency department were “told to soil themselves” because there was no one to take them to the toilet, staff have said.Patients at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham faced waits of more than 50 hours with no access to wash facilities, with some left “sitting in their own faeces“, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was told. An inspection by the CQC in February 2024 rated the emergency department as “requires improvement” and issued a warning notice for … Continue reading BBC Kent do not ask Labour Government, Health Secretary or local MP why A&E patients sit in their faeces for up to 50 hours – Imagine that in Scotland?

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They’re never going to tell you about this – 100% seen within the target for years, 79% waiting less than half the target time and numbers well above pre-pandemic levels – Scotland’s IVF programme creating and saving live

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Professor John Robertson OBA I’ve been reporting this success story, unique to Scotland, for years and BBC Scotland never reports it. From Public Health Scotland today: During the current quarter, 78.7% of patients who attended a screening appointment waited 26 weeks or less, 16.4% waited between 27 and 39 weeks and 4.9% between 40 and 52 weeks. No patients waited more than 52 weeks to be screened. 1 Note in the graph above: And from Fertility Scotland: Scotland is proud to be the only UK nation to provide up to three full IVF/ICSI cycles on the NHS for eligible couples with some of the highest … Continue reading They’re never going to tell you about this – 100% seen within the target for years, 79% waiting less than half the target time and numbers well above pre-pandemic levels – Scotland’s IVF programme creating and saving live

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Children’s mental health target met in Scotland and performance now outstrips latest NHS England figures by 18%

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: 90.6% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 89.1% for the previous quarter and from 83.8% for the same quarter ending December 2023. The Scottish Government standard which states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS was achieved. 4,362 children and young people were waiting to start treatment at quarter ending December 2024 which is an increase of 3.1% (131) compared to 4,231 in the previous quarter1 How did BBC … Continue reading Children’s mental health target met in Scotland and performance now outstrips latest NHS England figures by 18%

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How Shelter Scotland politicises homelessness even though it is 50% more common in England

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By JB Notice the differences in reporting by Shelter in Scotland and in England. For Scotland, they use “ national scandal” and “children trapped” but frame it differently for England. Notice the numbers too, in Scotland 10,360 children living in temporary accommodation, which is I agree way way too high. In England 151,000 children living in temporary accommodation. With England having ten times the population of Scotland the figure should be roughly 103,600 but there are 47,400 [almost 50%] more children in England living in temporary accommodation. All of these figures are a disgrace. No child in either country should … Continue reading How Shelter Scotland politicises homelessness even though it is 50% more common in England

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Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year in a row after Scottish Government’s ‘world-first’ opioid overdose reversal Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

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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 or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland‘s Drug-related hospital statistics Scotland 2022 to 2023 on 16 April 2024 (Latest release): There were 9,663 drug-related hospital stays. The European Age-sex Standardised Rate (EASR) of drug-related hospital stays was 182 stays per 100,000 population. This rate decreased for a third consecutive year, from a peak of 283 per 100,000 population in 2019/20. The highest substance-specific stay rate (81 per 100,000 population) was for opioids (drugs similar … Continue reading Drug-related hospital admissions plummet for third year in a row after Scottish Government’s ‘world-first’ opioid overdose reversal Naloxone initiative but are not being reported by media

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24% reduction in ‘bed-blocking’ to disappoint Jackie Baillie

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: At the January 2025 census, there were 1,969 people delayed. Compared to the previous three census points, this is higher than December 2024 (1,890) and lower than November 2024 (2,020) and October 2024 (2,030). and The average (median) length of delay for people delayed at the January 2025 census was 22 days. This is the less than December and November 2024 (both 29 days) as well as October 2024 (28 days). That’s a 24% reduction in bed-blocking. and In January 2025 the average number of beds occupied per day due to … Continue reading 24% reduction in ‘bed-blocking’ to disappoint Jackie Baillie

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Snap poll – only 20% of Scots and 28% of SNP members support sending Scots ‘peacekeepers’ to Ukraine/Russian border – 55% of SNP members ‘strongly disagree’

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Yes, I know, they’ve been a bit sneaky. He didn’t actually say he backed the idea but the damage is done if you don’t take the opportunity to oppose it. It’s what they do all the time and we lose votes. By Professor John Robertson OBA, former Research Ethics Chair, UWS I know, they’re only two wee ‘twitterpolls‘, self-selecting and so not proper polls. However, they’re still bigger and better than the teacher union one, used this morning by BBC Reporting Scotland Down, to suggest our classrooms are war zones too. Whatever, in the absence of a proper poll, these … Continue reading Snap poll – only 20% of Scots and 28% of SNP members support sending Scots ‘peacekeepers’ to Ukraine/Russian border – 55% of SNP members ‘strongly disagree’