A report on Scotland’s high number of drug deaths…’ Regulars will know that Scotland’s ‘record drug deaths’, a great favourite with our MSM and opposition politicians have been falling for some time but in a news vacuum many won’t have heard of it. I note a shift to ‘high number’ as BBC Scotland begin to adjust to the fact that the record is now three years old. Reporting Scotland today, all day no doubt, is perhaps getting a last one in before ‘we’ all notice the facts. So far, in 2021, suspected (Police Scotland data) drug deaths fell by 8%. … Continue reading Scotland’s plummeting drug deaths: One last time for the ‘record?’

From the SNP today: KEY ACHIEVEMENTS by the SNP in Government £18bn health funding – The 2022/23 Scottish Budget takes total health portfolio funding to £18bn, with resource funding up over 90% (£8.3bn) under the SNP (since 2006/07). Baby Box – Giving every baby born and resident in Scotland the best start in life by providing families with a Baby Box filled with essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life. Free Tuition – Students in England face tuition fees up to £27,750. Since 2007 Scottish domiciled students have continued to receive free university tuition, unlike … Continue reading Wow! As the young folk say this is awesome!

– and condemned the Welsh Labour Government by implication? By stewartb There are notable features in a research report published recently (9 June 2022) by the health think tank, the Nuffield Trust. It’s entitled: ‘How well is the NHS in Wales performing?’ Source https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/how-well-is-the-nhs-in-wales-performing The first thing to note is the objective of the Trust’s work: ‘to review how waiting times in Wales compare with other UK countries and with historic trends.’  However, the more remarkable feature is this: ‘We (i.e. the Trust) were asked by the BBC to review how waiting times in Wales compare with other UK countries … Continue reading Has Scottish Labour ‘jumped the shark’ on Scotland’s NHS?

From BBC Scotland today, fed by a Scottish Labour Freedom of Information request: Nearly a quarter of Scotland’s NHS 24 calls are being abandoned before they are answered, new figures show. Between February and June, 23% of calls to the 111 helpline did not reach an operator before the caller cut off. A freedom of information request from Scottish Labour revealed that of the 785,456 calls made to the 111 service in the last five months, 180,940 were abandoned. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-62190497 From the Independent, also from Scottish Labour’s rodent team, but not mentioned above, in February 2022: So more calls yet … Continue reading NHS 24 improves with more calls yet fewer abandoned

By stewartb This recounts an evisceration of governance in the British state, not from some outlandish radical but from the outgoing director of the Institute for Government (IfG). The IfG is described as the UK’s ‘leading think tank working to make government more effective’. It is an institution close to the British establishment – check out its board of directors! For this reason its output is always ‘interesting’! The present director, Bronwen Maddox is leaving after six years to become director of Chatham House. Recently (11 July) she delivered her valedictory lecture entitled ‘What’s wrong with Britain’s government’. (The transcript … Continue reading ‘Cronyism; lying, bending the truth and self-delusion; lack of skill; lack of accountability’ – the characteristics of British governance!

Who has BBC Scotland ‘in the dock?’ Alistair Bonnington, their former legal adviser. Are they really in a ‘dock’ ie court? No, he’s just complained to the BBC and to Ofcom. I’ve done that many times. He’ll get nowhere. Back to Alistair, just another peely-wally Scottish ‘gammon?’ In 2020, he accused the OU of ‘Stalinism’ after it ‘removed a comment he made about transgender women.’ He was at the time a student of English Literature. Was Stalin sympathetic to trans women? Had he heard of them? Had he, would he have just ‘gulaged‘ them? Bonnington, who ‘taught Sturgeon‘ has a … Continue reading Funniest headline of the century?

By stewartb – long read In May 2022, with little or no media coverage in Scotland, the results of the UK-wide assessment of the quality and impact of research undertaken within universities – the ‘Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021’ – was published. In summary, this is what the representative body, Universities Scotland had to say: ‘Every one of Scotland’s 18 universities undertakes research judged to be of “world-leading” or 4* quality on the overall profile. ’86% of the research submitted by Scotland’s universities (to the REF assessment) has been judged to be world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*) in its … Continue reading Research excellence in Scotland – musings on sustainability post-independence

Readers will remember that ‘Sturgeon’ was the MSM’s preferred face of the rail strikes as they sought to associate her with the passenger complaints: The First Minister was, of course, never in the room with the owners or the unions but, hey, anything bad that happens in Scotland requires her face, preferable scowling. So, presumably, she must, logically, be the face of the restoration of services and happy passengers? From ScotRail today: I am pleased to confirm that we will be able to restore our timetable to May 2022 levels from Wednesday, 20 July, after members of the drivers’ union … Continue reading Sturgeon seen smiling as ScotRail restores timetable

By stewartb The deceitfulness by acting in two different ways to different people concerning the same matter – of BBC reporting. In an earlier btl post I referred to a BBC News website article on NHS England’s latest A&E waiting times. In its first paragraph it states: ‘Pressure on NHS emergency services is getting worse, with patients in England waiting longer for ambulances, many staff off sick AND RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE GOING TO A&E.’ (my emphasis) From the official NHS England publication on A&E patients:June 2022 – All Attendances = 2,183,670May 2022 = 2,189,010The figure is slightly down in … Continue reading NHS England performance against the 4 hour target is poorer in June than May despite fewer attendances

Thanks to stewartb for alerting me to this. From the Royal College of Emergency Medicine today: “Once again Emergency Departments have recorded the worst performance on record, the worst four-hour performance and the highest number of 12-hour waits. Patients are waiting for increasingly long periods for an ambulance, in the back of an ambulance and in crowded Emergency Departments. We know that long waits in Emergency Departments can lead to associated harm and even death. https://rcem.ac.uk/emergency-care-crisis-putting-patients-at-risk-as-they-face-longest-waits-on-record/ Only 58.8% were seen in 4 hours. BBC UK/England’s websites are not covering this. Opposition parties are silent. Two days ago, BBC Scotland headlined ‘Scottish … Continue reading BBC UK ignores ‘England’s worst Emergency Department performance on record’, as NHS Scotland does 17% better