In NHS Scotland in November 2021, 75.9% of attendances at A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. This is actually an improvement on the figure of 73.5% for October. NHS England has been consistently poor at 61.9% for November, the same as for October. The gap with Scotland has now widened to 11.6% making the Scottish system 18.7% better. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ae-activity-and-waiting-times/ae-activity-and-waiting-times-month-ending-30-november-2021/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ Continue reading Scotland’s emergency services get better even in winter and lead NHS England by nearly 20%

From UK Government data today, we can see that with only 8% of the population, Scotland has generated 23.7% of all electricity generated from renewable sources in 2020. Readers may remember that for gas it’s 8% of the population and 28% of the production. It’s also 8% of the population and 15% of the social housing and 46% of the trees. The 8% meme, once a favourite here, has been neglected in the last few years so here’s a reminder of some: Return of the Meme! 8% of the population but 100% of the aluminium smelters 8% of the population but … Continue reading 8% of the population and 24% of the renewables electricity production

Deep down in the Telegraph piece above, betraying all of us again, is wee Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the new Scottish Liberal Conservative Democrat party (SLIKED). He manages to persuade the Telegraph that measures in Scotland prior to Boxing Day were the the same in Scotland as in the rest of the UK and so cannot be credited with lower infection rates then. He conveniently ignores the months of obligatory face covering wearing in Scotland’s shops and classrooms while Johnson discounted the need for them. In the last few days, before the latest measures could be expected to have an … Continue reading You can’t twist these data, Alex

Boris Johnson has his Churchillian moment at last as he promises the British people only blood, toil, tears and sweat and moves the NHS in England onto a ‘war footing’: Boris Johnson says he hopes England can “ride out” the current wave of Covid-19 without further restrictions. But he acknowledged parts of the NHS would feel “temporarily overwhelmed” amid a surge of Omicron cases. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59870825 Imagine, again, Scotland’s FM trying that line. Any how, the Unionist parties have rallied to the PM’s call for more death. Douglas Ross, Scottish Conservative leader, said: “Scotland has the strictest self-isolation rules anywhere in … Continue reading Scottish Cons and Labour call for NHS Scotland to be overwhelmed like NHS England

Today: Morriston Hospital in Swansea warned its emergency department can only admit patients with a life-threatening illness or serious injury. A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We have taken early and decisive action to keep Wales safe in light of the spread of the highly-transmissible Omicron variant. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59859171 The Welsh Health Secretary makes no comment. The leaders of the opposition parties are silent. In November 2021, as waiting times grew in Scottish hospitals, the Scottish Government issued new guidelines: The new guidance means patients with non-life threatening issues will now be referred to GPs or pharmacies. Some A&Es already have clinicians … Continue reading You can tell A&E patients to ‘stay away’ but only in Wales

In only the 39th of 40 paragraphs in the above BBC England report, do we see: Boris Johnson has warned “considerable” pressure on the NHS is likely to last for weeks to come and said it would be “folly” to think the pandemic was almost over. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-59866650 Notice, he takes no responsibility despite years of staffing reductions, a post-Brexit flight of staff and damaging privatisation, under his party. No opposition politician accuses the Conservative Government of a failure to recruit or to retain staff in NHS England. Several chief executives describe the pressure. None takes responsibility for anything. Readers will know … Continue reading No calls for heads to roll as EIGHT hospital trusts declare ‘critical incidents’

From stewartb Speaking as is his habit now in front of union flags, Sir Keir Starmer tells his audience that he leads what is a ‘deeply patriotic party’ and says that ‘2022 is a big year for the country’. But ‘big’ for whom and why? He cites the following things which for him characterise this upcoming ‘big year’:– the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee– Birmingham hosting the Commonwealth Games– both England’s men’s and women’s football teams competing for international honours – well that’s what the BBC is reporting so it must be correct!– the need to tackle some “big challenges” including “making … Continue reading The Deeply Patriotic Labour Party of England

For some time, I’ve looked for more signs of the SNP Government standing up to and correcting more often, the appalling standards of journalism displayed across the media in Scotland. More recently, beginning I think, with then Health Secretary, Jeanne Freeman and now even the FM telling a reporter how plain daft his question is, there have been a few polite but firm rebuttals. Across social media, we now see Jason Leitch and others correcting errors quite often. They clearly don’t like it put up to them and the doughty, doughy (?) Neil Mackay has ridden to their rescue. Does … Continue reading Doesn’t everybody?

According to the supposedly Scottish Daily Express, Scotland is struggling to maintain essential services and Nicola should get on with following England on isolation times. The opposition to this from the BMA and the EIS is, of course, not mentioned, nor are the data: Frontline staff absences are climbing and may have climbed further in the last few days but remain half of the figure in April 2020 and still significantly lower than in February 2021. Hospital admissions are climbing too but remain less than half of the figure in February 2021 and still below those in October 2021. Notably, … Continue reading Daily Express imagines England’s NHS staffing crisis is here too

As cases surge and plans for beds in tents are developed in England, the UK Conservative Government u-turns to follow Scotland on face-masks in schools. BBC Scotland yet to door-step Scottish Conservatives on this. Continue reading The nasty party’s mask slips….back on