In the Herald of Fake News Enterprise today: THE number of investigations into patients dying or being seriously injured in A&E as a result of potential failures in their care has more than doubled in Lothian during the pandemic. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23191468.surge-number-severe-adverse-events-lothian-es/ There were 60 Significant Adverse Event Reports (SAERs) to end October 2022, in Lothian. So, first of all, the sneaky wee ‘in Lothian‘ delayed till after the first impression that this applies to all of NHS Scotland, confirming, of course, their disappointment that it doesn’t. Second, here are the figures for the carefully chosen previous two years: but, of course … Continue reading A perfect case of misinformation on NHS Scotland

For the week ending 5 December 2022 for England, Wales and Scotland, and the week ending 3 December 2022 for Northern Ireland, the above graphic interests me and might interest some Scots but not, it seems, any of our media outlets. I hope you find this reassuring. Kind regards, The Editor Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/16december2022 Continue reading Scotland’s Covid 19 infection level amongst lowest in UK

From iamsoccerdoc I have a letter in this morning’s Herald, replying to one by Senior Yoon, Alan Sutherland, bemoaning that there aren’t enough of “us” to vote out “them” and “them” keep voting for them. His letter: The SNP is clearly failing, so why isn’t the message getting through? I fully agree with his analysis of what the SNP should have done after the referendum – actually start the transformation of Scotland, show what can be done and explain what could be done with independence, then go back to the electorate for permission. But it didn’t and in truth the … Continue reading Scotland in Union activist undercover again in the Herald demolished by TuS reader

The Conservative Democratic Organisation That might be an oxymoron, but it is true. I only came across it the other day, though it was published in the National last weekend – “Priti Patel and billionaire Tory donor launch campaign against Sunak” (https://www.thenational.scot/news/23183885.priti-patel-billionaire-tory-donor-launch-campaign-sunak/). The report concerns the launch of a campaign, headed up by Priti Patel, and funded by Lord Cruddas (no relation to the Labour MP of the same name) “in an attempt to ensure members can “take back control” of the party” Reading it, the thing that pulled me up was that the campaign had been launched, we are … Continue reading The Conservative Democratic Organisation: If Sunak isn’t centre right, then where exactly is he?

Equivalent quality newspapers, the Herald and the Mail, claim together that yesterday’s tax increase announcement constitutes some kind of ‘raid’ or ‘punishment’ of middle-earners in Scotland. Some facts: The average annual salary in Scotland based on 2022 data is £31,605. Everyone earning more than £43,662 in Scotland will have to pay more income tax next year, an extra penny in the pound – taking it to 42p. Someone earning £50,000 in Scotland will pay an extra £63.38 in tax compared with this year, and £1,552 more per year than someone on the same salary elsewhere in the UK Anyone earning £150,000 … Continue reading Sturgeon is looking after ‘Middle Scotland’

Predictable as clockwork, tax increases in Scotland are being touted by the not-so-brainy journalists we have to suffer here, as risking a ‘brain drain.’ Were there such a thing in the Express or in most other Scottish Unionist newspapers (SUN), would we notice? I think not. In January 2019, I spent some time showing that this notion never survives a collision with the evidence (I do like that line), triggered by a report in the Scotsman. Such is my contempt for such churnalism and, of course, my intrinsic laziness, I’ll just repeat it again, below: The Scottish Conservatives Branch’s, Temporary … Continue reading Scottish Brain Drain Risk? Too late to worry about that at the Express

From BBC Scotland’s not always satisfactory, James Cook, today: Scotland already had more generous welfare payments than other parts of the UK, as well as state-funded access to prescriptions, tuition fees, and personal care for the elderly. It has also been striking its own public sector pay deals, avoiding at least some of the industrial action which has hit the NHS elsewhere in the UK. The divergence continued with the budget statement by the deputy first minister in his role as acting finance secretary, covering for Kate Forbes who is on maternity leave. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63994702 Cook does then revert to type, … Continue reading The SNP confirmed as the party Scottish Labour could only ever pretend to be

According to the Guardian today: The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England has risen 22% in a week, the latest figures reveal. There were 6,720 people in hospital with the virus on 14 December, up from 5,501 on 7 December, according to data released by NHS England. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/15/number-of-people-in-hospital-with-covid-in-england-rises-22-in-a-week It’s not the Guardian’s headline story or anywhere near that. BBC Health is not covering the story either. For obvious reasons, BBC Scotland does not cover it. They’ve gone off the story since the glory days back in September: Isn’t that, above the kind of whataboutery John Beattie shouted about at the … Continue reading Massive surge in Covid hospitalisation not of interest

At the end of the first week in December, Covid infection rates in England (6.7 per 100K) continue to soar away from those in Scotland (5.1 per 100K). Remember that those small differences per 100K translate into thousands fewer infected in Scotland, due to a more effective NHS and Government, and hundreds of thousands more infected in England due to, well of course, the Con Government. Continue reading Covid infections in England still soaring above Scotland

From Public Health Scotland today: The total number of probable and definite hospital onset COVID-19 cases reported to ARHAI Scotland this week (week ending 20 November 2022) was 104. Of these 25 were reported as probable hospital onset (first positive specimen of COVID-19 episode on days 8 to 14 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 13 November 2022) there were 64. 79 were reported as definite hospital onset (first positive specimen of COVID-19 episode on day 15 of admission to NHS board or later). In the previous week (week ending 13 November 2022) there were … Continue reading Hospital acquired Covid levels plummet to lowest in UK