From Public Health Scotland today where the target is to begin drug treatment for 90% within 3 weeks: 8,708 referrals to community-based services started treatment during the quarter. Of these, 90.6% involved a wait of three weeks or less. The Standard was met for referrals starting treatment for problematic use of drugs (91.5%) and for co-dependency (92.5%), but narrowly missed for alcohol (89.7%). 323 referrals to prison-based services started treatment during the quarter. Of these, 94.7% involved a wait of three weeks or less. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times-1-april-2022-to-30-june-2022/ Continue reading Scotland’s drug treatment programmes beat 90% target again

From Public Health Scotland today: There were 6,380 eligible referrals within the 31-day standard, an increase of 6.4% from the previous quarter, but decrease of 0.1% compared with quarter ending 31 Dec 2019. 95.5% of patients started treatment within the 31-day standard, compared with 96.3% in the previous quarter, and 96.5% for quarter ending 31 December 2019. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-waiting-times/cancer-waiting-times-1-april-to-30-june-2022/ You could report that success in beating one target or you could just ignore it and go for something else, like this 0.3% fall in performance against the background of a 9.4% increase in demand: There were 4,072 eligible referrals for the … Continue reading Jackie Baillie ignores facts: 95% of cancer patients start treatment within 31 days

7 days ago, BBC Scotland and most of the other MSM were loudly trumpeting Scotland’s A&E waiting times worst on record, based on a one-week statistically meaningless variation. This week, performance is up from 63.5% to 66.2% seen in 4 hours despite a third week of increased demand as attendances at A&E departments soared by more than 1 000 in only 3 weeks. 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-18-september-2022/ Continue reading Scotland’s ‘worst A&E waiting times’ were a statistical blip as performance climbs despite increased demands

From the Scottish Government today but not the kind of thing BBC Reporting Scotland Down agenda welcomes: A programme which has given cancer patients improved access to treatments is being extended. Patients and health professionals reported significant improvements in access to cancer medicines thanks to the initiative, which was set up during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG) initiative meant clinicians were able to make quicker decisions about patient medication and also that some treatments could be taken at home rather than having to visit hospital. The number of hospital visits were estimated … Continue reading Cancer patients getting improved access to treatments in Scotland not being reported

From November 2021 to February 2022, we saw 7 major storms covering 12 full days with some of the highest winds in 30 years. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-storm-centre/uk-storm-season-2021-22 There were 7 431 cancellations in Scotland from January to July 2022. The Lib Dems have complained about these to the Scotsman but have, of course, ignored the weather. Out of interest, how big a proportion of overall sailings were the 7 431? See this: CalMac is the UK’s largest ferry operator, running 29 routes to over 50 destinations, across 200 miles of Scotland’s west coast. Our fleet of 33 vessels complete approximately 136,000 sailings a … Continue reading Remarkably few ferry sailings cancelled in year of storms

BBC Scotland, largely to advertise their own product, the often pathetic Disclosure Scotland, have recycled this old one: CMAL may have broken its own rules by allowing Ferguson to go ahead with its bid despite being unable to provide evidence of a builders refund guarantee, a mandatory financial safeguard. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-62986757 I looked at this in May 2022: The Ferry ‘scandal’ story runs on typically ill-informed. The Herald May 26 headlined supposed neglect in securing a contract refund guarantee or pledge as they put it. US corporate law firm Haynes Boone reveal the often worthless nature of these: The buyer’s position … Continue reading SNP Government used intelligence to protect Scottish jobs and Scotland’s commercial shipbuilding future

Today, BBC Scotland has a piece on the rebranding of the Balhousie Care Group as part of the multinational AcalisCare. Owner Tony Banks, above has sold his troubled firm for an ‘undisclosed sum.’ There’s no mention in the BBC Scotland piece of this from October 2020: Balhousie Care Group are by no means ‘leading ‘ when it comes to infection control at this time. Two of their homes had serious problems when inspected recently by the Care Inspectorate: North Inch House, Perth 16 June 2020 8 references to infection Staff were observed to move between units, lacked understanding of infection … Continue reading Why is BBC Scotland giving free advertising to private care provider with poor infection control record during pandemic?

Partner of the South Ayrshire Council leader, enabled into power by Labour despite SNP being the largest party, ‘list’ (ie not really elected by anyone) Con MSP, Sharon Dowey, is impressively present in the media these days as the face of the latest Conservative HQ attacks on the SNP. Her twitter feed is a marvel of ill-informed and shiny-necked claims. The above is the latest as a Tory, yes a Tory, tries to blame the SNP Government for falling life expectancy. Here are the facts, not of interest to Dowey: ‘The fall in life expectancy is proof that [Tory] austerity … Continue reading Falling life expectancy: Ayrshire List MSP (Con) wins brass neck award of year

This story will be everywhere as unionists hope to scare with a story based on SFA evidence. We’ve seen this before as the right-wing media try to undermine Scotland’s gradually improving, more progressive, tax regime. In 2015, the Telegraph predicted an exodus of the wealthy and young and 2017, Border Region Tories predicted an exodus to England. I can find no subsequent hard evidence that this ever happened. What is clear is this: Figure 3.1 shows estimates of net migration between Scotland and rUK over the period 1951-52 to 2017-18[3]. During this period, Scotland changed from being a nation that typically experienced a net outflow … Continue reading Factcheck: High earners rarely flee higher taxes

In the wake of Neil Oliver’s dumping, the National Trust for Scotland has appointed another well-nosed enthusiast for the Union, as president. Jackie Bird, much-not-missed, former host of Reporting Scotland Down and hospital pigeon fancier, seems to have been rejected for the obvious job at the RSPB. Longer-term readers may remember that one of my very few successful complaints about BBC bias was at Bird’s expense and, naturally, was about pigeons: On February 12th 2019, I wrote: Here’s my complaint on 24th January: ‘In a report on deaths at the QEU Hospital, Jackie Bird said: ‘[T]he deaths of two patients from a rare … Continue reading Bird denied obvious role as National Trust seems obliged once more to appoint Lesser-spotted, Long-haired Yoon