From NHS waiting times – diagnostics – Waits for key diagnostic tests, published today, the above and: The total waiting list size (number of ongoing waits) for the eight key diagnostic tests combined was 112,696: 27,931 endoscopy waits and 84,765 radiology waits. This is a 9% decrease (-11,296) from the previous quarter-end, when there were 123,992 ongoing waits. The latest quarter end has the lowest number of ongoing waits seen since 31 May 2021 (111,619). Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-diagnostics/diagnostic-waiting-times-waits-for-key-diagnostic-tests-26-may-2026/ The graph is perhaps not so easy to read but once explained it’s really good news for the Scottish Government. First the green … Continue reading Waits for key NHS Scotland diagnostic tests plummet

From NHS dental data monitoring report January to March 2026 published today: 5,273,339 people were registered with an NHS dentist. This is an estimated 95.1% of the Scottish population, using the 2024 National records of Scotland population estimate. 3,273,405 (62.1%) of these registered patients have participated in NHS primary dental care within the last 2 years. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report/nhs-dental-data-monitoring-report-quarter-ending-march-2026/ There is no formal NHS dentist “registration” system in England and Wales (unlike Scotland, where ~94-96% of the population is registered). Instead, official statistics track the percentage of the population seen/treated by an NHS dentist in a given period (typically the last … Continue reading In England and Wales, one third fewer have had access to NHS primary dental care than in Scotland where 95% are registered

From Group A Streptococcus (GAS) quarterly surveillance report Report to Q1 2026 published today: There were 65 iGAS cases reported. This has decreased by 11.0% compared to quarter 1 2025, when there were 73 notifications. The highest rates of iGAS were reported from NHS Borders at 2.6 cases per 100,000 population, followed by NHS Tayside and NHS Fife (each 1.9 per 100,000). While NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and NHS Lothian reported the highest numbers of iGAS cases in quarter 1 2026, NHS Borders, NHS Tayside and NHS Fife reported higher rates proportional to their population. iGAS remains a disease … Continue reading Bacterial infections fall 11% and are amongst lowest per head in Scotland in Glasgow ‘superhospital’

No doubt, I’ll be accused of tasteless, insensitive, gloating but haven’t we had it for centuries, southern commentators, comedians gloating about ‘chilly jockoland?’ Karma coming? In the Guardian today: Heatwaves are becoming the norm. This is what Britain will look like in the year 2052 – f you think the temperature uncomfortable today, let me take you to the last day of July 2052, the rays of the climbing sun reveal a city still sweltering in the residual heat of the day before. From the air, London resembles a colossal refugee camp. Streets, gardens and parks are teeming with tents … Continue reading Pleasant Jockoland? Extreme heatwaves will happen to ‘a meaningfully lesser extent in Northern Britain’

The Guardian regardless of its claims of ‘quality’ joins in the campaign to smear the whole of the SNP with one man’s crimes against it. Murrell was not a politician, not a thinker, not a leader of political initiatives. He was the senior administrator, responsible for staffing, buildings, accounts but the Guardian portray him as simply ‘the chief’. How do they square that with Nicola Sturgeon or other real chiefs of the party after her? As for ‘the man with the money’ claim, how on earth did this guy come to the attention of BBC reporters? No harm to him, … Continue reading Murrell was not ‘the chief’ of the SNP but only the chief accountant