From STV’s Philip Petrie last night: Friday’s buzz word across many news outlets was “heatwave” and yes the UK did have some really hot weather – but it was only across England and Wales. For us in Scotland it wasn’t as nice, quite a windy day and we had some rain and drizzle at times – which undoubtedly left a lot of people wondering “heatwave, what heatwave?” https://news.stv.tv/scotland/no-heatwave-for-scotland-as-temperatures-set-to-drop I was at the Holy Fair in Ayr yesterday, on the Low-Green, fully exposed to the sun and sea breezes, my lungs luxuriating in the ‘champagne’ of air quality that we often … Continue reading Scotland’s ‘nicer weather’ linked to fewer climate-related deaths

In the Herald today: MINISTERS have spent less that £250,000 on dealing with ‘dangerous’ cladding across Scotland five years after the Grenfell tragedy as concerns surface that new code of practice means it will not be replaced, it has been revealed. The worries have been raised after relatives of those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire mourned their losses on the fifth anniversary on Tuesday. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/20220406.ministers-spend-just-250-000-preventing-scottish-grenfell-five-years-tragic-blaze/ We hear, accurately I’m sure, that there more than 400 public building in Scotland clad in inflammable material and that some have raised concerns. We’ve been here before several times. There need be … Continue reading I repeat – there will be no Grenfell tragedy in Scotland because….

In a tradition going back decades the UK MSM including the BBC make clear which side they’re on and who is to blame for industrial action. Its the railway workers of course. Only in Scotland, where industrial action can be used to imply incompetence in a pro-independence government are the workers either supported or ignored and the managers disappear from the narrative, as the blame is used to demonise SNP ministers: Continue reading Scottish ministers should bow to strikers?

I used to teach student journalists research methods. They seemed bright enough then to quickly find the evidence they needed for an informed and intelligent kind of reporting. The above report is, as we expect, devoid of those first-year attributes. Not reported by the Scotsman: The Scottish Government has taken the following steps, within its devolved powers, to help households and businesses through the cost of living crisis: introduced £150 council tax payments – reaching 1.85 million (73%) of all households invested £10 million to continue the Fuel Insecurity Fund uprated eight Scottish benefits by 6% increased the Scottish Child … Continue reading Scotsman accused of shoddy unresearched journalism on SNP action to help with cost of living crisis

From David Bols, headlining in the Herald today: SNP ministers are overseeing an “addictions crisis” amid concerns alcohol-related deaths are not being tackled with the same urgency as Scotland’s record drug deaths. A leading charity has called for a “proportionate response” to alcohol deaths, alongside drug-related fatalities. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20219596.snp-government-warned-addiction-crisis-amid-fears-alcohol-deaths-neglected/ A quick look at the NRS data used by the Herald reveals this to be about 2020, a year of lockdowns when there was a spike in alcohol deaths triggered by increased consumption in those difficult times. The data for 2021 will not be published until August 2022. So this is a … Continue reading SNP Warned? Herald’s stupid or sneaky reporting of alcohol deaths?

THE SNP has claimed the top job at the umbrella organisation representing councils locked in a funding row with the Scottish Government. Opponents have warned that the move is “another hammer blow to Scotland’s savagely underfunded councils”. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20217672.snp-takes-top-cosla-job-despite-fear-party-allies-leading-scottish-government-talks/ Now, the SNP run 15 of the 32 councils, Labour 10, Conservatives 5 and Lib Dems 5 so does an SNP convenor seem fair? What happened back in the day when Labour ran more than 20 councils and the Scottish Government? Was that a problem? Did they let the Tories or the Lib Dems take the top job? Continue reading Did Labour let the Tories have the top Cosla job back in the day?

Research by the BMA published this week, reveals that 76% of doctors across the UK experienced racism in their workplace. The research published has no regional (sic) breakdown and is presented by the MSM as a UK-wide problem. However, a contact at the BMA has shared this with me: Experienced racism within the past two years Scotland – 66% Wales – 70% Northern Ireland – 85% The figure for England is not available but, given the size of their sample, can be safely assumed to be around the UK figure of 76%, significantly higher than in Scotland. I agree that … Continue reading Doctors in Scotland significantly less likely to face racism at their workplace

Within an otherwise devastating exposure of the crisis in NHS England, BBC News at 10pm last night, presented the above figures implying that NHS England remains better than the others in the UK. stewartb in a comment last night demolishes this presentation: BBC News at 22.25 on BBC 1 has just had Hugh Pym, its health editor, tell a UK audience that both NHS England and NHS Scotland had a similar, c. 70-73% performance against the 4 hour A&E waiting time target. This is just so blatantly misleading! The latest report today from NHS England has stated clearly: ‘60.2% OF … Continue reading BBC uses wrong data again to suggest NHS England has best emergency services

In the PM’s Hillingdon hospital, in May 2022, a staggering only 49.8% were seen within 4 hours. The figure for NHS England was only 60.2%. The figure for the First Minister’s local Glasgow hospitals was 69% and for NHS Scotland, it was 70%. 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/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-5-june-2022/ Continue reading PM’s local A&E department like ‘third world’

As in March 2021, BBC Scotland Correspondent for Bad News Only about Health, Lisa Summers, has been unavailable to tell us about the steady fall in nosocomial (hospital acquired) Covid infections. Sources tell us she ‘can’t be arsed.’ In November 2020, when cases went up for one week she was all over the story: Public Health Scotland data released today for week-ending 22 May 2022, show only 67 definite or probable cases down for the 8th week in a row. The infection rate in Scotland is currently 1 in 40, up from 1 in 50 only last week. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/hospital-onset-covid-19-cases-in-scotland/hospital-onset-covid-19-cases-in-scotland-week-ending-01-march-2020-to-week-ending-22-may-2022/ Public … Continue reading Scotland’s hospitals have tiny numbers of hospital acquired Covid infections despite recent increase in cases