Professor John Robertson OBA From Psychological therapies waiting times Quarter ending September 2025 published yesterday: 80.7% of people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 78.3% in the previous quarter, and an increase from 80.0% for the quarter ending September 2024. Half of those starting treatment started within 3 weeks of referral. This is an increase from half starting treatment within 4 weeks in the previous quarter, and the same for the quarter ending September 2024. Of the 1,291 people aged 65+ who started treatment in this quarter, 76.7% were seen within 18 weeks of … Continue reading Massive 14% increase in psychological therapies carried out with over 65’s within target and significant increase for all ages

Professor John Robertson OBA TuS averages 1 000 visitors a day so yesterday’s 3 256 is notable. The surge was, unusually, in the early hours – see this: The previous day’s posts can only have been the attraction at that time, midnight to 0400: Here’s where the visitors were based, countries: TuS tends to get little traffic from USA or South and East Asia or these particular US cities. The fifth post about was about HIV so maybe more widely of interest but I struggle to see what interested in the first four unless, heaven forfend, my use of the … Continue reading Strange goings on at Talking-up Scotland the night before last – early morning spike, rare surge in interest from USA and perhaps suggestions of porn?

Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has two big reports on leaking landfill sites in the UK (sic): UK and Europe’s hidden landfills at risk of leaking toxic waste into water supplies – Thousands of landfills across the UK and Europe sit in floodplains, posing a potential threat to drinking water and conservation areas if toxic waste is released into rivers, soils and ecosystems, it can be revealed. and ‘I kept smelling a horrible nasty smell’: the risks of England’s old dumping grounds – For some, the smell brings on nausea and headaches. Others fear ‘forever chemicals’ seeping into the water … Continue reading England and Europe’s hidden landfills at risk of leaking toxic waste into water supplies but Scotland’s sites are all known and level is now only one third, of that under Labour

Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald today, has: Leading scientists, land managers and environmental campaigners have set out what must be done to save Scotland’s ancient forest, saying, “we must not stand by and see them lost”. The group have published a paper outlining the steps required to overcome threats to Scotland’s “magnificent formations of nature”, Caledonian pinewoods. The risks it details include overgrazing by excessive deer numbers, inappropriate fencing, mounding and planting, and the invasion of non-native species, including rhododendrons. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25657586.snp-tree-planting-policy-threatens-caledonian-pinewoods/ I’m with the campaigners on this but, as often before, the Herald’s selective bias is revealed here. Why have they not offered … Continue reading SNP has planted nearly 20 times as many new trees as Labour Wales and more than 3 times as many as still-Conservative England

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC England today, the above and: Women aged in their 50s and 60s have been urged to practise safe sex after a rise in new cases of HIV in heterosexual groups. Remarkably, the BBC Report above seems unaware of this in October 2025, only two months ago, from the London-based European Aids treatment Group: New data shows Scotland could still be first country to end new HIV cases. New data from Public Health Scotland shows the country has made progress toward ending new HIV cases. In 2024, 116,981 people tested for HIV in Scotland. This … Continue reading As worrying increases are reported in England, Scotland to be first country in the World to end new HIV cases