Category: Uncategorized

16 Comments

SNP vote in May Holyrood election could be weakened by mistaken polling envelope suggesting photo ID required

johnrobertson834

The front and back of the envelope I received with my Ayr Constituency and South Scotland Region poll card today. Photo ID is NOT required for Scottish parliamentary or local council elections. Why does this matter? There is official UK research and analysis, including from the Electoral Commission in May 2023, showing that photo ID requirements create disproportionate barriers for certain disadvantaged groups, leading to reduced voting participation among them. This includes lower rates of acceptable photo ID ownership, lower awareness of the rules, higher rates of being turned away at polling stations, and self-reported deterrence from voting. https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/research-reports-and-data/our-reports-and-data-past-elections-and-referendums/voter-id-may-2023-local-elections-england-interim-analysis Why … Continue reading SNP vote in May Holyrood election could be weakened by mistaken polling envelope suggesting photo ID required

8 Comments

A major new study counters ‘deluge of negativity, accusations and downright lies’ about NHS Scotland

johnrobertson834

By Jim Mennie The Meidas Scotland  ‘Have Your Say’ survey created to gather feedback on Scottish NHS experiences — Scottish NHS: Your Stories Matter — has gathered over 400 responses in a matter of weeks and is already generating valuable insight.  The survey link – https://meidasscotland.eaction.org.uk/hospitals Meidas Scotland – https://www.facebook.com/people/Meidas-Scotland/61573925276612/ https://x.com/MeidasScotland and https://bsky.app/profile/sovereign.scothttps://www.instagram.com/meidasscotland/https://www.tiktok.com/@meidasscotlandhttps://free-scotland.scot/ I created this survey after becoming furious at the sheer deluge of negativity, accusations and downright lies coming from some politicians and parts of the mainstream Scottish media. Enough was enough — if they weren’t going to tell the truth, then I’d ask the public directly. I wanted the … Continue reading A major new study counters ‘deluge of negativity, accusations and downright lies’ about NHS Scotland

4 Comments

BBC Scotland’s Sad Mould Alert! – Construction/renovation accounts for 50% of mould outbreaks, easily cleared up, zero deaths in UK

johnrobertson834

Gleefully headlined today by BBC Scotland, another hospital mould story. The last time they had such fun was with hospital pigeon poo: Wall panels and insulation at two new Aberdeen hospital facilities have had to be ripped out because of mould before the buildings receive their first patients. Infection control teams sounded the alarm at the Baird Family Hospital and The Anchor Centre cancer unit after construction materials were allowed to get wet, BBC Scotland News has learned. The experts warned that dormant mould spores could reactivate when the overbudget and delayed facilities finally open, posing a health hazard for … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s Sad Mould Alert! – Construction/renovation accounts for 50% of mould outbreaks, easily cleared up, zero deaths in UK

3 Comments

‘An unannounced inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has praised maternity services at Victoria Hospital, NHS Fife, for delivering compassionate, person-centred care’

johnrobertson834

By stewartb ‘Maternity Services in Kirkcaldy not being ‘up to standard.’ – surely such BBC Scotland negativity CANNOT be about maternity services at the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy? From the NHS Fife website today, 19 March: ‘An unannounced inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has praised maternity services at Victoria Hospital, NHS Fife, for delivering compassionate, person-centred care. The inspection, carried out in December 2025, highlighted strong multidisciplinary teamwork, visible senior leadership, and highly positive feedback from women and families using the service.’ From the actual report: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (March 19, 2026) Unannounced Inspection Report Maternity Services Safe Delivery of Care Inspection … Continue reading ‘An unannounced inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has praised maternity services at Victoria Hospital, NHS Fife, for delivering compassionate, person-centred care’

2 Comments

The story of Covid was not the same across the UK – this is a deliberate lie to conceal Scotland’s demonstrably and significantly better performance and recovery

johnrobertson834

across the UK, but recovery after Covid is perhaps one area where Scotland has performed a little bit worse than England England in terms of the waiting times for non-urgent operations that people are facing right now. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002szh1/reporting-scotland-lunchtime-news-19032026 BBC Reporting Scotland today, ignoring all the evidence that does not fit their agenda and trying to tell you that the SNP Government did no better and even, in recovery, even worse. First excess deaths First, Excess Deaths – From the Covid Inquiry documents, Table 13, during the pandemic period from March 2020 to February 2022, in England, excess deaths were 6.5% … Continue reading The story of Covid was not the same across the UK – this is a deliberate lie to conceal Scotland’s demonstrably and significantly better performance and recovery

1 Comment

As 58 babies might have survived with better care in Oxfordshire, BBC Scotland gleefully report one Scottish maternity unit not ‘up to standard’ in some way but no avoidable baby deaths

johnrobertson834

BBC Scotland’s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning had a story of Maternity Services in Kirkcaldy not being ‘up to standard.’ As search found the above. BBC Scotand’s Edinburgh, Fife and East website had Nothing. I tried again: OMG, that’ll be it! 58 babies not saved. I have relatives in Fife. I clicked on the link: Wait why is BBC Oxfordshire reporting on maternity care in Fife? I read on: At least 58 babies at an NHS maternity unit might have survived with better care, a BBC investigation has found. The deaths included 32 stillbirths and 26 neonatal deaths – … Continue reading As 58 babies might have survived with better care in Oxfordshire, BBC Scotland gleefully report one Scottish maternity unit not ‘up to standard’ in some way but no avoidable baby deaths

Leave a comment

Covid Inquiry returns today to look at impact on NHS – How Scotland’s stronger primary care kept intensive care numbers down to prevent overload

johnrobertson834

On 21 December 2022, there were only 8 Covid patients in ICU in Scotland but 174 in England, nearly twice as many per head of population. Even in Wales with a smaller population, there were more, 10. Throughout November and December as Covid hospitalisations began to climb again, there had been 2 to 3 times as many, pro rata, in English Hospitals than in Scotland. What was going on? Scotland has an older population with historically worse health outcomes and life expectancy, yet fewer in ICU. Could it be the effects of vaccine hesitancy amongst some ethnic groups? I can’t … Continue reading Covid Inquiry returns today to look at impact on NHS – How Scotland’s stronger primary care kept intensive care numbers down to prevent overload

Leave a comment

Covid Inquiry returns today – The Scottish Government took a significantly different approach to achieve the lowest death rate in the UK ‘in spite of the relatively high levels of poverty-related ill health in Scotland, which might have been expected to result in a higher Age-standardised Mortality’

johnrobertson834

BBC England and Wales are headlining this but BBC Scotland is not. Perhaps this is why. – excess deaths during the worst of the pandemic, March 2020 to February 2022, were nearly twice as high in England and 20% higher in Wales, revealed in the above archived document for excess deaths and in this on the overall death rate: The Scottish Government took a significantly different approach to extending NPIs in September and October 2020 at a time when it is suggested that there was a delay in the UK Government acting. 12. In this context, a key question that … Continue reading Covid Inquiry returns today – The Scottish Government took a significantly different approach to achieve the lowest death rate in the UK ‘in spite of the relatively high levels of poverty-related ill health in Scotland, which might have been expected to result in a higher Age-standardised Mortality’