Before the pandemic in early 2020, NHS Scotland had around 27-28 000 planned operations every month. Since the collapse, during lockdowns, to between 3-4 000 essential procedures, the level has climbed steadily to around 25-26 000 in the last few months. Of these, cancellations due to lack of staff or resources have fallen to just below pre-pandemic levels at around only 2%. This is a stunning level of resilience and recovery in any system of such scale and complexity. Other cancellations, based on patient choice or medical expertise, cannot be used as negatives. On a regular basis such clear evidence … Continue reading Operations returning to pre-pandemic levels with stunning 97.7% performance

In the Guardian today: UK forests are heading for “catastrophic ecosystem collapse” within the next 50 years due to multiple threats including disease, extreme weather and wildfires, researchers have warned, with trees dying on a large scale. The government plans to plant 30,000 hectares of forest every year by 2025, which is double current planting rates. The UK is one of the least forested European countries, with a total coverage of 13%. A 2021 report from the Woodland Trust found that just 7% of the UK’s native woodland was in good condition. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/08/uk-forests-face-catastrophic-ecosystem-collapse-within-50-years-study-says-aoe There’s no mention of Scotland in this ‘UK as England‘ … Continue reading Scotland and ecosystem collapse – 8% of the UK population but 60% of the trees and 76% of tree planting

From Wales Online yesterday: Wales’ biggest hospital has triggered the highest alert because of a “significant and sustained adverse demand” on services. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said there were particular problems within in the Emergency Unit at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. On Tuesday (November 7) a ‘Business Continuity Incident’ was issued. Each of Wales’ health boards has five levels of escalation which determine how pressured its services are. More details are here. A Business Continuity Incident is the highest level 5 and is also known as a black alert. A statement from the hospital said the alert was as the result … Continue reading NHS Scotland under SNP has never had a real crisis like this ‘black alert’ in Labour Wales today

On 30 November 2022, the Labour Government in Wales voted down a separate Covid inquiry. From Nation.Cymru on 1 December: The voting down of calls for a Welsh inquiry into Covid is “the most shameful day in the history of the Labour Government in Cardiff Bay,” Welsh Tories have said. Welsh Conservative-led calls for the Welsh Parliament to set up its own inquiry into Covid were narrowly voted down in the Senedd yesterday, 30 November. All the main opposition parties in Wales have called for a Wales-only-inquiry, as have campaign groups such as the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru (CBFJC). … Continue reading Nearly 3 000 more Covid deaths had Labour run Scotland’s pandemic response – why Welsh Labour voted down a inquiry?

Yesterday BBC Scotland were headlining the complaints of one care home relative (above) – ‘I missed Mum’s death by seconds because of care home Covid rules’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-67346268 As always, missing from the reporting of a taxpayer-funded public service broadcaster with a charter requiring it to inform, was any discussion of the reasons underlying the practice to limit care home visits – the critical vulnerability of care home residents and the consequent level of deaths in these places which in Scotland alone was moderated by it. In the first wave, Scotland had to follow the SAGE advice as part of the … Continue reading Covid inquiry – BBC Scotland News misrepresents care home rules that saved the lives of thousands

From BBC Wales yesterday, with the above graph, a comparison you’d never see from BBC Scotland unless it was for drug deaths: The Welsh government lacks “ambition” to tackle child poverty, a new report has said. Some 28% of children in Wales are living in relative poverty – more than Scotland and Northern Ireland. A committee of the Senedd has called for the Welsh government to reinstate targets, seven years after they were scrapped. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-67332009?at_format=link&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_campaign_type=owned&at_ptr_name=twitter&at_link_id=4F21ECCE-7C99-11EE-AE66-0FFDECABB293&at_medium=social&at_link_origin=WalesPolitics&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_link_type=web_link&s=09 When BBC Scotland looks at poverty they are careful not to look beyond the border and prefer this narrative: One in 10 Scots living in … Continue reading BBC Wales reveal Labour’s failure to govern

From the Journal of the San Juan Islands in Washington State (USA) today, an open letter to the Washington State Federal Government: On behalf of the residents, business owners and essential service providers in San Juan County and Town of Friday Harbor, many of which are co-signers to this letter, we are compelled to collectively bring to your attention the serious consequences of the significant disruptions to Washington State Ferries (WSF) service on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. The negative impacts of unpredictable and unreliable sailings and frequent cancellations caused by vessel and crew shortages, vessel maintenance and failures and … Continue reading Research – Media ferry coverage of real ferry failures causing “high losses of critical revenue” in Canada

Imagine the excitement at the Herald, if a retired CalMac ferry sank? The MV R.J Breadner, formerly the MV Albert J. Savioe, built in Vancouver in 1961 and retired at only 41 years of age, has sunk in Sechelt Inlet, on 4 November 2023. The former BC Ferries vessel worked in the relatively mild waters around the highly-affluent city of Vancouver. Meanwhile, 7 former and pretty elderly CalMac ferries are still running in one of the most affluent countries in Europe, Ireland – MV Eigg (1974) Clare Island Ferries; MV Kilbrannan (1972) as above, renamed MV Clew Bay Queen; MVs … Continue reading Only 41 years in service Canadian ferry sinks while former CalMac Clyde-built ferries sail on into their 50s with no sign of stopping

From Edinburgh Live yesterday: East Lothian Council’s leader has told the First Minister he will need to match the funds a 32 per cent rise in council tax would have brought the local authority after freezing the increase. Norman Hampshire described Humza Yousaf’s announcement of a council tax freeze as ‘extremely disappointing’ in a letter to him. East Lothian council leader asks First Minister for millions of pounds to plug council tax hole – Edinburgh Live It’s difficult to imagine what this rightist Labour politician, hotel proprietor and former or current director of 8 companies, would be planning to spend the extra money … Continue reading Poverty-denying Labour council leader and hotelier claims he would have increased council tax by 32%

The headline story across BBC UK about the drug Anastrozole makes no reference to the other three nations. Anastrozole has been used in Scotland since 2005: Anastrozole (Arimidex) is accepted for restricted use within NHS Scotland in the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early invasive breast cancer. https://www.scottishmedicines.org.uk/medicines-advice/anastrozole-arimidex-fullsubmission-19805/?UNLID=26676429320231179941 I’m not a medic but I think this means the drug is not being used in Scotland in the same preventative way and perhaps for good medical reasons – it reduces oestregen and so increases the risk of bone damage. Without seeming too cynical I hope, is this NHS … Continue reading “England lags behind Scotland in assessing cancer drug”