This post is almost entirely due to the work of new TuS Health and Safety Correspondent (SFA Remuneration Rules), Robert Martin. I’ve just quickly assembled the bits for a quick post. From insurance giants, Zurich, today this gnomish report: From the 2023 revision of Scottish Building standards: Continue reading UK Gov rejects fire safety measures to save lives in English schools which are already in place in Scotland

In December 2022, NHS England’s Type 1 (full) A&E departments only saw 49.6% of attendances within 4 hours. In Scotland, the figure was 62.1%, 25.2% better. Sources: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ae-activity-and-waiting-times-month-ending-31-december-2022/ Continue reading Scotland’s A&E 25% faster in December 2022

From Public Health Scotland today: 70.3% of ED attendances were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours, up from 70.1% in the previous week. 1,996 patients spent more than 8 hours in an Emergency Department, down from 2 331 in the previous week. 851 patients spent more than 12 hours in an Emergency Department, down from 1 031 in the previous week Attendances were up from 21 517 to 22 430 https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics-week-ending-29-january-2023/ Continue reading Surge in A&E improvement across all waiting times maintained

The Herald today tells us: Thousands of people have experienced near-fatal overdoses since Scotland’s drug deaths crisis was declared a public health emergency – with new figures labelled “deeply concerning”. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23300910.warning-thousands-saved-near-fatal-overdose/ We then hear: Naloxone? Yes that: Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a national naloxone programme, empowering individuals, families, friends and communities to reverse an opiate overdose. We funded this £1 million programme, over 5 years from 2011 to 2016. Over forty six thousand potentially lifesaving take-home naloxone kits have been supplied between 2011-2012 and 2017-2018. https://www.gov.scot/policies/alcohol-and-drugs/naloxone-provision/ So it’s working? Not according to Scottish Labour’s daft thinking. … Continue reading Scotland’s drug survivals: The Herald finds a grey lining in a silver cloud

Did you think this might be about the Rev Stu Campbell? Surely the ‘beautiful’ suggested otherwise? From Butterfly Conservation, today: Scotland is the only UK country for which the all species butterfly indicators show long-term increasesin abundance and distribution, a 37% increase in abundance (1979-2019). Read the full report at: Click to access State%20of%20UK%20Butterflies%202022%20Report.pdf Our Resident Lepidopterologist, Professor Gordon Motherwell Gibson-Gibson confirms that this recovery in Scotland’s butterfly population is likely to be due, in part, probably, to SNP policies on the environment and tree-planting. Footnote: The current Wings over Scotland debate is on whether common moths should be allowed … Continue reading 37% increase in Beautiful Wings only over Scotland?

Covid mortality rates in UK nations: remarkable differences revealed in new analysis By stewartb The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has recently published its latest annual report on the extent of poverty across the UK. This is based on data rich research that has over the years gained the status of an authoritative source. See JRF 26 January (2023) UK Poverty 2023: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK.  (https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/uk-poverty-2023 ) In this report, the authors look back at the UK’s experience of Covid-19 and specifically at the differences in death rates by geography and degree of deprivation: ‘In … Continue reading Thanks to better SNP Government strategy, health care and compliance, Scotland has lowest Covid death rate for ALL social groups

From BBC Scotland today: A father has told the BBC he moved his family out of a flat complex in Glasgow after fire safety issues were found. Abhijeet Kadwe said he feared for his children’s safety after learning that the Lancefield Quay flats had the same cladding as Grenfell Tower. A 24/7 fire patrol has been put in place in the building by the Scottish government after developers failed to make improvements. It emerged that the building had ACM (aluminium composite material) cladding – the same material that caused the 2017 fire at Grenfell Tower to spread so quickly. The tragedy … Continue reading Cavity fire barriers ensure no Grenfell here but media disinformation continues to panic residents

In the Murder two days ago: Former Scotland coach Jim Tefler is still adamant his nation should “show maturity” by ditching their national anthem. The Scots will blast out Flower of Scotland loud and proud at Twickenham before their blockbuster Six Nations Calcutta Cup clash against England on Saturday. But Tefler, 82, believes it is time for the anthem to be shelved because of its anti-English connotations. He has long vocalised his desire for change for the song that was first adopted by the Scottish rugby team when he was forwards coach back in 1990. The anthem fired the Scots up before … Continue reading Should Flower of Scotland be kept not so much for our sake but for all the others Great Britain has invaded?