Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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As CalMac averages 99% lifeline English ferry service is at shocking 78% reliability with new boats five years away

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From Island Echo, yesterday Red Funnel is to order 3 brand new ferries for its East Cowes-Southampton route, but they won’t be sailing until at least 2028. It has been confirmed by the cross-Solent ferry operator that it intends to invest around £100million in 3 new vessels to replace the ageing Red Eagle, Red Falcon and Red Osprey, with the benefit of an improved crossing time. The new ships will be diesel-powered, rather than battery or electric, and will be smaller than the current Raptor-class vessels – but will have a ‘similar’ capacity. The contract to build the 3 new … Continue reading As CalMac averages 99% lifeline English ferry service is at shocking 78% reliability with new boats five years away

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70% Dissatisfaction with lifeline US ferry service costing 50% more than comparable CalMac 100% service

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By Professor John Robertson From the Dispatch in Washington State, USA, yesterday: Nearly 3,800 ferry riders and 544 non-riders took part in the FROG survey, with the number of riders on all routes saying they are either satisfied or mostly satisfied with service at 54%, which is down from 58% in 2023. The Vashon triangle had the greatest percentage of riders saying they are dissatisfied with service, at 70%. Last year, in Kiro 7, we read: Vashon Island (10 000) commuters to Seattle in Washington State are up in arms about their $27, 15-minute ferry service: Vashon Island residents are … Continue reading 70% Dissatisfaction with lifeline US ferry service costing 50% more than comparable CalMac 100% service

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Road deaths and cyclist casualties reduce dramatically

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From Transport Scotland yesterday, but not making it to any front pages or to BBC Scotland, today: One hundred and fifty-five people were killed in reported road collisions in Scotland in 2023, 16 fewer than in 2022. Compared to 2022, there was a fall in reported casualties of 16% for pedal cyclists.  Sources: https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/decrease-in-number-of-people-killed-on-scotland-s-roads-1/ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/vgebxuz3/key-reported-road-casualties-scotland-2023.pdf Continue reading Road deaths and cyclist casualties reduce dramatically

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NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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By stewartb The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is a persistent and highly critical commentator on the responses of UK and devolved governments to the waiting times and capacity challenges facing NHS Emergency Departments in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For background, it is my contention – and I’d argue, provable by analysis of the RCEM’s past monthly press statements that following the release of performance data for the NHS in each of the four nations – that the RCEM (i) fails to acknowledge the relatively better performance of NHS Scotland; and (ii) adopts a tone in its … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s ‘hugely better’ performance that the Royal College prefers to obscure

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Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Health Secretary Michael Matheson….. On Reporting Scotland’s short broadcast at 1.30 today, both political stories, SNP bad. 2 min 30 on the above topic, then straight onto a report on smart meters. Then at 4 min 47 sec in: to dual the A9 by 2025. 20 sec on that. Then should mobile phones be banned in School? Nothing on Ian Murray’s AirBNB income, Reform MP, Lee Anderson’s suggestion of sending refugees to the Western Isles, or the Scottish Tories being forced to drop their opposition to abortion buffer zones. This is all-too-typical. From 2nd June 2023 New Research finds BBC Scotland … Continue reading Imbalanced Reporting of Scotland to undermine the SNP

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Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries

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By Professor John Robertson Today, in the Seattle Times: Washington ferry riders face a month of longer wait times as the 144-vehicle Suquamish ferry undergoes routine maintenance. Brought into service in 2018, Suquamish is the youngest ferry in WSF. With an average ferry age of 32, the system faces $270 million in deferred maintenance. Although the system needs 26 boats to run at full service, it currently has 21 ferries, so it’s on a reduced schedule for at least the next four years.  The average age of a CalMac ferry is 24. On May 3, we could also report: Washington State Ferries in … Continue reading Ferrymageddon as US travellers face four years or more of delays due to aging ferries

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84% of Scots wait 2 days to see a GP while in England it averages 10

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From the Scottish Government today: 84% of people who needed to see or speak to a doctor / nurse quite urgently were seen within 2 working days. From NHS England: The average waiting time for a routine GP appointment has reduced from 19 days to 10 days. Fantastic progress in England but if the average was 10 days, I’m guessing far fewer than 84% were seen in 2. Sources: https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-care-experience-survey-2023-24-national-results/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/case-studies/routine-gp-appointment-waiting-times-reduced-by-47-pickering-medical-practice-north/#:~:text=The%20average%20waiting%20time%20for%20a%20routine%20GP%20appointment%20has,the%20start%20of%20the%20project. Continue reading 84% of Scots wait 2 days to see a GP while in England it averages 10

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Expert says Labour’s pledge to restore 18-week waits for life-threatening conditions in five years IS feasible even though they’re miles behind Scotland with only one fourteenth of the waiting list pro rata

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By Professor John Robertson Contrary to the BBC Scotland reporting, the 18 week target for life-threatening conditions is more important than the 2 year target for non-life-threatening, admittedly demoralising hip and knee surgery, on which we apparently do worse than NHS England after massive UK Government investment in private treatment for political ends. According to Rob Findlay of the Health Service Journal last June: The biggest task will be keeping up with demand. Beyond that, restoring 18 weeks in one term looks feasible. Unless he quickly u-turns again on this one, Starmer faces a big challenge to even catch NHS … Continue reading Expert says Labour’s pledge to restore 18-week waits for life-threatening conditions in five years IS feasible even though they’re miles behind Scotland with only one fourteenth of the waiting list pro rata

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Access to NHS dentistry in Scotland shocking 21% higher than in UK and Lib Dems run with it

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From Public Health Scotland, today: 5,182,993 people were registered with an NHS dentist as at 31 March 2024 (94.6% of the Scottish population). 732,618 extensive clinical examinations were paid in the quarter ending March 2024 under the new pay arrangements I can’t find directly comparable figures for NHS England, but from a UK Parliament report in 2023: 1 in 5 Britons (22%) are currently not “registered” with a dentist. Of those who were not “registered” 37% said this was because they couldn’t find an NHS dentist. Only 78% in UK registered, 16.6% lower than the 94.6% in Scotland. So access … Continue reading Access to NHS dentistry in Scotland shocking 21% higher than in UK and Lib Dems run with it

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Labour pushing their pet prof ‘under a bus?’

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Prof Arthur Bloom, who died in 1992, had been based in Cardiff and was one of the UK’s leading haematologists In the Times Higher Education, today: Infected blood: how academics both caused and exposed tragedy Report into scandal highlights danger of relying on singular sources of knowledge, in contrast to inquiry itself, which utilised vast range of expertise to get to the bottom of what happened. Particularly criticised was Arthur Bloom, a professor in haematology at what was then the University of Wales College of Medicine, now part of Cardiff University, whose views were said to have been “overly influential”. Last … Continue reading Labour pushing their pet prof ‘under a bus?’