From Alasdair Galloway: Some thoughts on some consequences of Covid An article on the BBC website just caught my eye – “Covid Cases: This summer compared with last” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58281664. It reports that comparing 20 August with this time last year, there were 37,314 this year, compared with 1,182 a year ago. Or put another way, there were more than 31 times the number of cases this year than last year. The author of the piece seems remarkably untroubled by this. They write “The numbers admitted to hospital or dying are also both higher than last year. However, this still reflects … Continue reading There is nothing wrong with whistling in the wind, but…

From BBC Health today: Nearly 100 members of the Army have been brought in to help four ambulance trusts in England look after patients. High demand and staffing shortages mean they are being used to work alongside NHS staff. Ambulance services in the South Central, South West, North East and East areas of England are being supported by the military. The union, Unison, said it was a “sign things are not right” within the ambulance service. The pressures on the ambulance service are not just down to the pandemic. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58281665 The report does not mention Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, far … Continue reading Scottish Ambulance Service does not need military support.

By Alasdair Galloway As has been well rehearsed in many places, yesterday (18th August) was GERS day, when the undead, sorry Unionists emerge to condemn not just independence but the futility of even seeking independence. Needless to say, and as pointed out elsewhere, the Herald was all over this. There was the usual one-eyed nonsense from Tom Gordon, but also a piece by the former Adam Smith Professor of Economics at the University of Glasgow (no less), the interestingly named Ronald MacDonald (now Research Professor). As is well known, the Prof is a dyed in the wool Unionist who will … Continue reading The Big Mac

From SNP Media: A former Tory Scotland Office minister has claimed that the UK government’s Scotland Office ‘serves no real purpose’. Speaking to the Institute for Government, Lord Ian Duncan said that there ‘wasn’t much to do’ during his two-year spell as a Scotland Office minister and he never spoke to Theresa May or Boris Johnson once during his tenure. Previous reports have found that spending at the Scotland Office soared last year to £8.5million – a £1.2m increase on the previous year. Lord Duncan was also scathing of Boris Johnson’s denial of Scottish democracy and said the Prime Minister … Continue reading Scotland Office ‘serves no real purpose’.

In the Herald today: Conservative MP for Plymouth Johnny Mercer has said that no-one from his own party reached out to him in the wake of a mass shooting in his area which cost the lives of five bystanders. Mr Mercer described the shootings as “very difficult, just an awful situation”, and said that he was working to put support structures in place.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19526213.plymouth-tory-mp-johnny-mercer-launches-attack-party-afghan-debacle/#comments-anchor On Blackford’s call: Makes you wonder, are Tories selfish folk? Boris and Dominic were having a break as Kabul fell. Like President Biden did they feel it was their own fault? Evidence? Try this: Why the … Continue reading Tories revealed as selfish shock

The difference between infection levels in all of Northern Ireland, around 500 per 100K and Glasgow, 189 per 100K, is now comparable to that in June, when the First Minister imposed a travel ban between Scotland and Manchester. The surge in Northern Ireland shows no sign of slowing and the increase, though from a lower base, less than half, in Scotland further reinforces the need for travel restrictions: According to the Record: Glasgow is set to see over 30 Orange Walks on just one day next month after coronavirus restrictions were relaxed. Thousands are expected to participate in the marches on September 18 … Continue reading Calls for travel restrictions

From the Herald’s Tom Gordon today: THE SNP and Scottish Greens have been given a brutal foretaste of the next five years, as their opponents savaged their ground-breaking joint government deal before the ink on it was dry. The two pro-independence parties are today expected to announce a partnership short of a formal coalition after intense negotiations since May’s Holyrood election. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19525669.opposition-savage-snp-green-joint-government-deal-ahead-announcement/ A brutal foretaste? Savaged? Hahahahaha…stop it….my ribs hurt. From that wee pug Ross, or that floppy bloodhound Sarwar, or that prancing poodle Cole-Hamilton? Toothless, whining and repetitive, they could no more savage those super-smart border collies, Nicola or … Continue reading SNP/Greens nibbled at by annoying wee dugs

The infection rate in Northern Ireland has been the highest in the UK for almost a month now. At 78.7 average cases per 100 000, it now sits 66% higher than the UK and England which are themselves 50% higher than in Scotland, the lowest in the UK. The rate in Northern Ireland is 250% higher than in Scotland yet travel is permitted. Imagine Scotland had the Northern Ireland figures? Imagine BBC Scotland? Here’s what BBC Northern Ireland think is in the public interest: When, in July, Scotland did have the highest rate: Smell the glee in the Times headline? … Continue reading As cases surge 250% ahead of Scotland, BBC Northern Ireland not interested

From BBC Wales today: There were also the highest attendances at A&E departments since the pandemic began and waiting time performance was the worst on record. The target is that 95% of patients should be seen within four hours but that fell to 69.8% in July. This dropped as low as 44.7% at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire and 43.8% at the new Grange University Hospital in Torfaen. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58267774 In July, NHS Scotland saw 85% within 4 hours and only one recorded less than 80% – NHS Lanarkshire at 79.6% seen in 4 hours. So, overall NHS Scotland operating 20% … Continue reading Catastrophic failure in NHS Wales leads to no mention of the health minister

In the week ending 25th July, 9 476 (98.4%) Covid cases were picked up in the community (house parties, clubs, sporting events and on transport). Only 10 out of 9 630 (0.1%) were definitely picked up in a hospital. This is a frankly astonishing level of infection control across 279 hospitals. This data is hardly ever reported. BBC Scotland’s Lisa Summers will tweet excitedly if the graph goes up at all. NHS England deals with this by not reporting at all but a study published in Hospital Healthcare Europe suggested a figure of 10% over the first wave: Over 1 … Continue reading Astonishing infection control in Scotland’s hospitals deserves praise