I seem to have missed this when it was first reported by Public Health Scotland in January 2023: 95.4% of the Scottish population were registered with an NHS dentist as at 30 September 2022. As at 30 September 2022, 87.2% of children were registered, compared to 87.4% on 30 September 2021. Nearly all adults living in the most deprived areas were registered with an NHS dentist in September 2022, compared to 91.9% in the least deprived areas. https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/dental-statistics-registration-and-participation/dental-statistics-nhs-registration-and-participation-24-january-2023/ Read that last bit again? Surely BBC Scotland did this story? See below. Might I compare with somewhere else? Directly comparable data … Continue reading Nearly ALL adults living in the most deprived areas are registered with an NHS dentist!

From BBC Scotland today; Humza Yousaf has said future Scottish government spending plans will be targeted at those most in need. The first minister revealed he has asked his cabinet to review all future commitments to ensure they are effectively aimed at reducing poverty. Mr Yousaf said previous universal policy commitments, such as rolling out free school meals to all primary age children, would stand. However he warned “tough choices” would be made about existing budgets. The first minister said he wanted to explore “whether targeting help is the way forward when money is so tight”. The comments came after … Continue reading Reducing poverty the Joseph Rowntree or Jimmy Reid way?

Deltapoll have carried out 3 polls since mid-April against the background of the new SNP FM subjected to a barrage of ugly and unfounded reporting, across all of the MSM in Scotland and the UK. Just sub-polls I know but repeated they tell us something. On 17 April, they had SNP on 40%, Labour on 30% and Cons on 17%. On 26 April, they had SNP on 40%, Labour on 30% and Cons on 19%. Today they are reporting SNP on 39%, Labour on 26% and Cons on 19%. Even under media carpet-bombing, Yousaf is looking solid. Scottish Labour cannot … Continue reading Three sub-polls in April and May show SNP support unchanged and Labour support stuck

In March 2023 there were 21,350 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland.  676 (3.2%) were cancelled by consultants when it was felt to be the best thing for the patient at that stage. This is a good thing and does not reflect upon performance.. 593 (2.8%) were cancelled by the patient themselves. This too does not reflect upon performance. Only 420 (2%) were cancelled due to capacity or non-clinical reasons. This does fairly reflect upon performance but is a very low figure given that to hit 100%, you would need have facilities and staffing at a level unjustifiable … Continue reading In March NHS Scotland was ready to do 98% of operations on time!

In October 2022, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,898. In March 2023, the latest figures, it was 1 743, a 9% fall in only 6 months. This is the lowest figure since May 2022. Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-october-2022/#section-2 https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-march-2023/#section-2 Continue reading Hospital discharge delays fall again to lowest level in a year!

No speech marks around ‘missing out’, Herald? Missing out? I think not. In March 2023, we had: Last year, the Scottish Cons were onboard, with: The Scottish Conservatives are calling for a new generation of nuclear power stations – to hurt Putin, keep bills low and help us transition to Net Zero. Nuclear energy produced over a quarter of Scotland’s electricity in 2020 – but the SNP are refusing to reverse their opposition to this low-carbon energy source. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has underlined the importance of energy security. We can no longer afford to allow the SNP-Green’s immature understanding of our … Continue reading Scotland to miss out on new wave of nuclear power waste and danger?

Headline story from BBC Scotland this morning: Ferry operator Calmac has run up a £1.6 million bill for crewing cost for the Glen Sannox, which is still under construction. Calmac has hired 14 staff to date and they’re all working on other vessels at the moment. I can’t find the necessary crew size for the Glen Sannox but a Channel ferry requires 185 on one shift so needs at least 400 to cover all shifts, holiday, sickness absence? Channel ferries are around twice the length. The Glen Sannox will take 1 000 passengers. A Channel ferry typically takes 2 000. … Continue reading Ferry little to talk about as less than 10% of crew were hired too early?

Sir Edward Mountain MSP, estate owner in Strath Spey and Hampshire, tells us on BBC Scotland that the supposedly SNP/Green plans to introduce “highly protected” marine areas (HPMAs) where all commercial activity would be banned, could see the ‘second clearances.’ This is another Reporting Scotland story, not on the BBC Scotland website at all and, of the newspapers, only in the Scotsman. Mountain’s claim is not challenged. Reporting Scotland, along with Good Mourning Scotland and John Beattie’s Driveltime, operate largely as advertising platforms for the opposition parties. There is no mention of course of this: or this from stewartb just … Continue reading Scottish land-owner Tory attacks his own party’s support for fishing limits

It’s been some time since we’ve all had a wee laugh at one of Mark Smith’s ‘features.’ Who can forget these? Read them again at: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Mark+Smith Back to today. SNP rebrands are bound to fail? Like the one beginning with Alex Salmond’s leadership from 1990, the marching left of the SNP troops to outflank a rightist Labour Party, his courageous opposition to the Iraq War in 2003 and calling for Blair to be tried as a war criminal? That rebranding? The one that took the SNP from nowhere to complete dominance in Holyrood and in Westminster? So, once more, as … Continue reading Mark Smith knows little of SNP history

Once more we don’t see just who has written this? Is it their editorial view or just an opinion? Once more the Guardian’s underlying conservatism is revealed. Some may remember their editorials supporting Blair and the attack on Iraq in 2003 and the Union against Scottish independence in 2014. Despite often presenting themselves as a voice for internationalism and left-of-centre economic policies, the arrival of a politician actually committed to doing something progressive – Corbyn – sent them into a panic and they played a major part in destroying him. Today, despite the evidence, they join the campaign to undermine … Continue reading As Yousaf leads Scotland’s progressive movement away from a reactionary England, their ‘left’ can only grudge it and snipe from the wings (right)