This was posted today on the Scottish Government’s announcements website. It took me five minutes to think what I would say. I’m a 71.9 year-old volunteer. None of our professional ‘journalisms’ is on this story yet. Will they be, later? I suppose it can be hard for someone young and vigorous to find and read a website, especially one hosted by their enemy, that SNP. Anyhow here’s what the Ukraine Statement says, in brief: Title of Policy Change to the residency criteria for access to tuition fee and living cost support- UK nationals and their family members who have fled … Continue reading SNP Government today – Ukraine and Afghan refugees to get free tuition and living cost support

By stewartb The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has just published this: ‘Healthy people, prosperous lives: The first interim report of the IPPR Commission on Health and Prosperity’.  The Commission was established to ‘test one central hypothesis: that a fairer country is a healthier one, and that a healthier country is a more prosperous one’. The report is here: http://www.ippr.org/research/publications/healthy-people-prosperous-lives This is the UK! The report paints a very negative picture of life for many in this precious Union. After more that a decade of Tory governments in Westminster – rejected by a majority of Scotland’s electorate, as usual … Continue reading UK is clearly very far from OK!

As the opposition parties bray for SNP transparency while refusing to be so themselves, the Labour branch revealed its membership in February 2021 to be under 16 000, less than a quarter of the SNP currently at 74 9000. The UK Lib Dems claim 73 000 but I doubt that gives the Scottish Lib Dems 7 300. The Conservative Party has 172 000 but I even less doubt that the Scottish Tories have 17 000, half at best? Continue reading SNP membership only more than FOUR times higher than that of Labour Party’s Scottish Branch

At the current rate, three more Calmac ferries would cost approaching £1 billion. In February 2023, and once more missing me, thanks to our ‘quality’ MSM coverage: From the Scottish Parliament: In 2023-24 the amount paid out in devolved social security benefits is forecast to increase by around £1 billion – from £4.2 billion in 2022-23 to £5.2 billion in 2023-24.  Most of the £1 billion increase in spending is focused on: Adult Disability Payment and Personal Independence Payment, increasing by £642 million and Scottish Child Payment, increasing by £216 million. Together these two make up 81% of the increase in Social … Continue reading What is the news? Ferries or care for the vulnerable?

For some time now, in coalition with the Daily Record, not-voted for MSP (Con) Sharon Dowey (above), has been using figures for her local Ayr hospital, to fuel her calls for Humza Yousaf to resign. Things have gone wrong for her recently as University Hospital Ayr’s A&E department has performed better than its Crosshouse neighbour for the last 4 weeks and hit 70% within 4 hours in the most recent week for data, well ahead of the national figure of 63.4%. The Prime Minister’s Richmond constituency is within the NHS Humber And North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board. They do not … Continue reading Ayr list MSP embarrassed as local A&E surges to 70% and to 33% better than the PM’s local

I should know about this kind of thing but I didn’t. Did you know about this? Child Winter Heating Assistance is a benefit from the Scottish Government. It was first paid in 2020. It’s a payment to help disabled children and young people and their families with increased heating costs over winter.  It’s paid once a year. The payment for winter 2023-2024 is £235.70.  https://www.mygov.scot/child-winter-heating-assistance I knew us old folk, regardless of need, get a winter heating payment and I know all about the much-celebrated Scottish Child Payment – ‘a watershed‘ in showing that poverty can be tackled: https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/scottish-child-payment-extension-watershed-already-showing-poverty-can-be-tackled-political The … Continue reading BBC Scotland trainee warned after asking why they didn’t tell anyone about this!

I’m off on a bit of tangent here but still talking-up Scotland I think. From the Smithsonian Magazine yesterday: Buried in a field near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire in Scotland is a piece of history that eluded archaeologists for hundreds of years. In 1707, antiquarian Robert Sibbald described a Roman fortlet in the area, but attempts to find it during the 1970s and 1980s were futile. Now, thanks to advances in technology, archaeologists have been able to find the structure that was once believed lost to time. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-discover-lost-roman-fort-in-scotland-180982055/ Even after reading a few books on Scottish place names, … Continue reading Archaeologists Discover Lost Roman Fort in Scotland

From Public Health Scotland, yesterday: More than four fifths (81.1%) of people commenced psychological therapy based treatment within 18 weeks of referral in the quarter ending 31 December 2022, similar to the previous quarters. Over two thirds (70.1%) of children and young people started treatment by specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health services within 18 weeks of referral in the quarter ending 31 December 2022. This is an increase from 67.9% in the previous quarter, and similar to 70.5% for the quarter ending 31 December 2021. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/mental-health-quality-indicator-profile/mental-health-quality-indicator-profile-25-april-2023/ Continue reading More than 80% get psychological treatment within target time!

From Public Health Scotland, yesterday: The average weekly number of naloxone administration incidents [by Scottish ambulance staff] was broadly stable between December 2022 and February 2023 (61 incidents per week). The total number of incidents during this time period was lower (793) compared to the same time periods in 2020 (998) and 2021 (920). That’s a 14.4% fall after a 7% fall, in the last 2 years. The average weekly number of drug-related attendances at emergency departments was stable between December 2022 and February 2023. A total of 1,118 attendances were recorded in this period – 13% lower than in … Continue reading Scotland’s drug ‘crisis’ abating further but to media silence

Waiting, watching, holding their breath, as NHS Scotland’s A&E performance consolidates, they spot a bit of ‘worsening!’ In week ending 16 April 2023, down from 64.9% seen within 4 hours in the previous week to…..wait for it…..63.4%…a whole 1.5%!!! But, Dad, that’s not significant. You get weekly variations like these below, all the time. Monthly figures would be better. 64.9% seen in 4 hours in week-ending 21 August 2022 and the very same on 9 April 2023 and way up on 55.9% in January 2023. So, what’s the trend? Anyhow back to the monthly figures. In March 2023, it was … Continue reading A&E waiting times steady at 14% better than NHS England