From the Scottish Government today: Opportunity Cromarty Firth and Firth of Forth Green Freeport have been selected jointly by the Scottish Government and UK Government as the locations for Scotland’s first Green Freeports. Green Freeports are designed to boost innovation and inclusive growth within communities, while supporting Fair Work First practices, creating new green jobs, upholding the highest environmental protections and supporting economic transformation. Working in partnership with the UK Government, we have adapted the UK Government’s freeport model to develop a sustainable and fair Green Freeport model that fits the Scottish context.  https://www.gov.scot/policies/cities-regions/green-ports/ Hmmm….the Greens disagree. I’m going to … Continue reading Freeports, Green or otherwise, bad?

People Polling reported, for 21 December 2022, of those selecting a Party, SNP at 55%, Scottish Labour at 24% and UK Labour at 46%. Today, for January 11 2023, it’s SNP at 50%, Scottish Labour at 22% and UK Labour at 48%. The Cons? Disappearing up…. Some recovery, Anas. Sources: https://peoplepolling.org/tables/202212_GBN_W51_full.pdf#subsection*.12 https://peoplepolling.org/tables/202212_GBN_W51_full.pdf#subsection*.12 Continue reading Second sub-poll this year has SNP at 50% or more and Scottish Labour lagging far behind UK Labour

Based entirely on a report from Alex Cole-Hamilton, this story of a Ukrainian refugee ‘fleeing’ NHS Scotland, is one of the daftest for some time time but, sadly, some folk will believe it. To be fair, BBC Scotland clearly sense that it’s a bit too daft for them but, of course, include the above front pages in their review of today’s newspapers. We will, no doubt, meet the source and get the real story in the next few days but by then the damage is done. So, the sad truth about health care in the Ukraine: In 2018, even before the … Continue reading Mail and Express recommend ‘weakest post-communist health service’

According to the BBC NHS checker 41% of NHS England patients waited longer than the target time of 18 weeks for routine treatments in November 2022 In Scotland, based on September 2022 data, the figure was only 29%. 12% (the difference) is coincidently 41% more than 29%. Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64254249 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59549800 Continue reading 41% more patients wait longer in NHS England

According to the BBC NHS tracker today, the Scottish average wait for an ambulance in week beginning 2 January, was 9 mins 19 sec while in NHS England it was ‘30 minutes or more. It should only take 15 minutes.’ Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59549800 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-64254249 Continue reading Average ambulance waits nearly THREE times longer in England

In December 2022, NHS England’s Type 1 (full) A&E department’s saw only 49.6% of admissions within the 4 hours target. 14.4% had to wait more than 12 hours. In Scotland the ED (full) average for the same month was 58.9%, 18.7% better. Around 10% had to wait more than 12 hours. In Barking, Havering And Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, the figure was a shocking 28.6%. Sources: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics-week-ending-01-january-2023 Continue reading NHS England’s A&E departments set new low and see fewer than half in 4 hours as NHS Scotland holds up at nearly 60% and 20% better

Fed by Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Herald’s Tom Gordon delights in the story of a Ukrainian refugee who allegedly went back to Kyiv for a quicker GP appointment. It will be quicker as the GP just asks her if she is mad and sends her straight back to Scotland. Why? Because, in 2018, even before the war: Ukraine has over 2200 hospitals and over 400,000 hospital beds (5,22 hospitals and 890,7 beds per 100,000population) in the public sector. In per capita terms, this is more than in EU countries. But the facilities have outdated equipment and very few are able to … Continue reading Lib Dumb’s Cole-Hamilton recommends use of outdated medical equipment in weakest post-Soviet health service

From the Herald’s ever-unreliable scare-story hound, today: Two quick responses. First, the research compares data from different years and for Scotland, is four years old at best. See: Second what is the actual source of the ‘third of Scots’ based on Prostate Cancer UK’s 35% figure? I can’t find it in any of their citations. Continue reading More unreliable ‘research’ to scare Scots

England has 10 times the population and so, all things being equal, might be expected to have around 100 Covid cases in ICU but has typically more than twice that. Scotland has 1.7 times the population of Wales and so, all things being equal, might be expected to have around 36 cases in ICU but typically has only 10, just over a quarter of that figure. The overall number of Covid cases in hospital is very similar in all 4 nations. It is only the number of severe cases in ICU that differs so much. All things are clearly not … Continue reading Why are there twice as many Covid ICU cases in England and nearly four times as many in Wales?

Today from BBC Scotland: The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments has hit its highest ever level, according to official figures. Public Health Scotland data shows 2,506 people spent more than half a day in A&E in the week ending 1 January. That was up from 2,183 the previous week – which at the time was the highest ever figure. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64222187 Once more the Pacific Quay juniors use a one-week data change rather than the more reliable monthly data which can be used to accurately put things in context. Here is some: Ambulance workers in Scotland, … Continue reading Reporting Scotland re-using last year’s resolution to scare the excrement out of vulnerable Scots