Readers may remember the blanket coverage of the GMB bin collectors in 2021 as Cop26 loomed. Anas Sarwar was on TV ad nauseam, posing with refuse and blaming both the SNP Council and the SNP Government for Glasgow refuse not being collected. BBC Scotland went in pursuit of the piles but, notably, only found this image: Edinburgh City Labour runs Edinburgh with the support of the Tories and the Lib Dems in key posts after suspending two Labour Councillors who would not support the dirty deal to keep out the SNP: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/two-edinburgh-labour-councillors-suspended-after-abstaining-on-vote-which-put-their-party-into-power-3748068 I look forward to a pic of Anas … Continue reading Will Anas Sarwar pose with heaped garbage in Labour/Tory-run Festival Edinburgh?

In the Times today: A majority of Scots would be happy for the nation’s benefits system to be more generous even if it meant they paid higher taxes, according to research published today. A report also found 79 per cent were in favour of a minimum income guarantee (MIG) being introduced. The research from IPPR Scotland, who describe themselves as ‘progressive’ as opposed to ‘independent’, also includes this statement: Following the publication of three significant reports by IPPR Scotland over thelast two years, the Scottish government have made ambitious commitments towork towards our vision for a ‘living income’ – ensuring … Continue reading Another brick in walls of a better home?

Gregor Gall is a ‘man of the left‘ as we used to say. Industrial relations professor at Bradford University, editor of the Scottish Left Review and ‘Joe Strummer studier’, he was never going to be happy with the SNP attempts to create a fairer Scotland. Strangely, though, he seems more concerned about that, than about the view to his south, of London burning. Gall is correct in that the idea of a social democratic ‘Nordic’ nation is being simplified and ignores more recent less-egalitarian developments in those nations. He’s correct in that the SNP have not been able to fully … Continue reading We all know why being a ‘Nordic nation’ trumps being an ‘Anglo Saxon’ one

In the Independent today: A&E waits are now “apocalyptic” and “worse than ever imagined” leaked NHS data shows, and could be driving 1,000 patient deaths a month, The Independent can reveal. Almost 700,000 people have waited more than 12 hours in A&E in the first seven months of 2022, according to leaked NHS data. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/a-e-hosptial-trolley-waits-patient-deaths-b2135801.html Unlike Public Health England, Public Health Scotland openly publishes data on waits of more than 12 hours. From January to July 2022, there were 24 145.* All things being equal, with 10 times the population, NHS England should have had around 250 000 waits of more than 12 hours but it … Continue reading ‘Apocalyptic’ emergency waits of more than 12 hours in NHS England three times more common than in Scotland

By cuckooshoe Just heard a report on ITV News statistics for drug related deaths in England and Wales. On the BBC website I found an article on the figures for Wales. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62393799 “There has been a sharp increase in the rate of deaths from drug misuse in Wales, according to new figures. There were 210 deaths recorded in 2021, compared with 149 in 2020 – an increase of 41% – Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed. The figure was also the highest since records began in 1993, with the previous record being 208 in 2018.” At the time of … Continue reading As they begin to fall in Scotland, drugs deaths reach record high in England and Wales

According to the Herald and headlined today: The number of planned operations being carried out in Scotland remains more than a quarter below pre-pandemic levels and is down compared to a year ago, amid delays to new elective hubs. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/20596338.nhs-recovery-fewer-operations-2022-year-ago/ Really? See this from Public Health Scotland, 4 days ago: Planned operations do remain down on pre-pandemic levels but are not down on one year ago. Notably operations cancelled due to lack of resources (dark grey line) are back at the pre-pandemic, an impressively low 2 to 3%. Continue reading Herald misleading public on NHS for cheap scare story

From the above report by Ipsos Scotland: Scottish Child Payment (SCP) was introduced by the Scottish Government tosupport families on low incomes and contribute to its goal of eradicating childpoverty in Scotland. The first payments were made in February 2021, initially tofamilies on qualifying benefits with children under six, although the ScottishGovernment has stated its intention to extend the scheme to cover children under16 years of age. At the time this research was conducted, parents and carers inreceipt of SCP were paid £40 direct to their bank account every four weeks,although the value was set to double to, £80 every … Continue reading Ipsos MORI survey finds Scottish Child Benefit has had major benefits

From Public Health Scotland today: In June 2022, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,678. This is a decrease of 2% compared to May 2022 when the daily average was 1,707. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-june-2022#section-2 There was a 5% drop in delays in May 2022. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-may-2022/#section-2 Continue reading Delayed discharges fall for second month in a row

In June 2022, 71.3% of attendances at Scottish A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. In the same month, in England, only 58.8% were seen in 4 hours. Scotland’s A&E departments were thus, 21.2% more effective (12.5% of 58.8). Glasgow hospitals in the constituency of the First Minister were slightly faster than the Scottish average, at 72.4% in 4 hours. The figure for local Norfolk hospitals, in the constituency of Liz Truss, was a shocking, ‘third world’ level of only 43.1% in 4 hours. The First Minister’s local hospitals were thus … Continue reading Sturgeon’s Glasgow emergency departments are a shocking 68% faster than those in the Norfolk constituency of Liz Truss