By stewartb “With two weeks to go until the Glasgow summit, the BBC has learned it still hasn’t delivered that plan.” With this framing is the intended message, the implication, that little or nothing is being done? Probably. Well of course this would be wrong! NHS boards already have – and are already acting upon – net zero plans. Just one insight from the 2019-20 Annual Report of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. ‘NHSGGC continues its commitment to reducing both its energy-based carbon emissions and its energy consumption which will enable the Board to contribute towards the Scottish Government’s aim … Continue reading Yes, but has BBC Scotland learned anything useful?

Reporting Scotland is on a yoonroll today. Story after story to make you feel bad about being here. Here’s the last one: Two years ago, the Scottish Government pledged to set out plans to make the NHS here a world leader in sustainability and a net-zero organisation by 2045. With two weeks to go until the Glasgow summit, the BBC has learned it still hasn’t delivered that plan. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0010vk4/reporting-scotland-lunchtime-news-18102021 Wait, 2045? 24 years from now? Is it maybe a difficult plan that will take some time to get right? Did they have a target to get it done for COP26? … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s latest attack on Scotland’s green credentials

Maybe I’m being paranoid but a health board in a ToryLab pact council area calls in the Army and makes sure BBC Scotland know all about it. We hear: Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire council have been providing vehicles to help transport patients home to free up more beds https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0010vk4/reporting-scotland-lunchtime-news-18102021 So they were coping? Why can’t the councils continue? Army vehicles are a freebie? Queue Aberdonian joke? Remember this is the Labour Group on Aberdeen Council that even Kezia Dugdale tried to expel but who have now been forgiven by Sarwar under orders from Starmer. This is the council that huffed … Continue reading Aberdeen to get ex-Afghan War Land Rovers to take your mum home?

They’re all, not just BBC Scotland, headlining the tragic death by knife of a 14 year-old yesterday in Glasgow. They should. I understand but they should also inform their audience with some context so that they can react to it emotionally and behaviourally in proportion. They don’t. How common is such a crime in Scotland? Five children have been murdered in Scotland in the last 21 years, since Kriss Donald in 2004. It is a very rare crime. How common is knife crime? Public perceptions of carrying suggest it has fallen from 22% to 12% in the last 10 years … Continue reading The murder by knife of a teenager in Scotland is now very rare

According to Reporting Scotland’s report today, Covid cases here have reached to a ‘stubbornly high plateau.’ Now ask your mum or anyone in the street what that means for the question ‘Which part of the UK has the highest Covid infections’ and, I’m sure the answer will be Scotland. Unless, of course, you let them see this: Woah! Wait! Whit? I thought you said it was high here? What are BBC England and Wales saying? Well, nothing, nothing at all actually. Continue reading UK looks down on Scotland’s ‘stubbornly high plateau’

As BBC Scotland staff monitor Covid data for any sign that Scotland’s performance is the worst, TuS understands that some are suffering health problems. Scotland’s dizzying fall and apparent determination to stay at the bottom has triggered an emotional form of vertigo in some, while England’s surge is causing some to become anxious that they are heading to become the worst and they might feel obliged to mention that. As for Wales, most staff are now experiencing headaches. I am too. What is going on there? Continue reading BBC Scotland staff dizzy and anxious as Wales infections confuse and England’s soar to the top

As with Cameron Norrie, BBC Scotland show no interest in a dramatic win by Scotland’s cricket team who have beaten one of the top teams in the world, Bangladesh. BBC Sport has only a minimal account with no acknowledgment of the achievement. Scotland has beaten the number six side in the world from our position of 15th out of 88 in the ICC Men’s T201 league. I know little of cricket but this is a big win, worthy of attention. For context, Bangladesh has a population of 165 million, with a median age of 27.6 years compared to Scotland’s 5.44 … Continue reading Scotland’s national cricket team beat top team Bangladesh, NINE places above them but BBC Scotland….

What, none of them can do emergencies? None? I don’t think Alister Jack mentioned that. They can’t do emergencies. Their newest ambulance is 30 years old. Can I tell a general to stop wasting my time? I’ve got 160 000 staff and Alister says the Army will save us with another 82? You’ll just need to pretend they’ve been a big help or we’ll never hear the end of it. Thanks lads! Safe journey back to Catterick but remember to think twice before calling out an NHS England ambulance. No, really? Continue reading Humza reacts to British Army rescue plan

By Alasadair Galloway: Earlier here: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/10/16/our-nhs-is-not-in-trouble-because-of-snp-decisions/ points to the partiality of this letter to the Herald (also) on Saturday. DAVID Crawford (Letters, October 15) writes regarding NHS performance, simplistically blaming Westminster, asserting a worse NHS situation south of the Border, and stating insufficient taxes are returned to Scotland. Public Health Scotland data reveals a 21 per cent pre-pandemic reduction in inpatient treatments delivered between 2013 and 2019, from 345,000 to 274,000, and consequential spiralling record waiting lists. Much of this is driven by reductions in hospital beds. Despite a growing population, outpatient treatments completed show a slight reduction over the … Continue reading Our NHS is NOT in trouble because of SNP decisions Part 2

In the Herald today: THE annual cost of ministerial offices has almost doubled under the SNP, Scottish Labour has said. Excluding the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister, the yearly cost of ministerial salaries, office staff and advisers has risen from around £2.4 million in the SNP’s first government in 2007 to more than £4.5m in 2021, the party said. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19653527.annual-cost-ministerial-offices-has-almost-doubled-snp/ So, first that ‘doubling’ is not 100% correct. It should be 87.5% Second, UK inflation from 2007 to 2020, has been around 42% and averaged 2.7% so by 2021, 44%. So, we have a ‘real’ increase in spending … Continue reading A bargain