From: Jon Musgrave: Prof Christina Pagel, director of UCL’s Clinical Operational Research Unit blamed poor organisation. “In the week to 3 October, we vaccinated 70,000 children (2.4%) in England. In the three days from 1-3 October, we gave 470,000 booster doses. This is an organisational issue, not a supply issue. Scotland has already vaccinated 30% of its 12- to 15-year olds compared to our 9%. So a leading health professional is stating that the Scottish NHS and government is more than 3 times as efficient as their English counterparts. I wonder why the BBC Scotland website isn’t trumpeting this? Continue reading Scotland vaccinating 12-15 year-olds THREE times faster

NHS England no figures since December 2019 Anecdotal evidence features regularly in our media suggesting a crisis, with operations being cancelled frequently, yet the data says otherwise. From Public Health Scotland, three days ago: The total number of planned operations across NHS Scotland during August 2021 was 20,490. This represents an increase of 6.4% from 19,253 in July 2021 and is 48.1% higher than August 2020, when services were gradually resuming for non-urgent care. Of all planned operations during August 2021, 629 (3.1%) were cancelled by the hospital based on clinical reasons, 496 (2.4%) were cancelled by the hospital due … Continue reading 98% of surgery carried out as planned despite increased demand

John Birkett of St Andrews, serial letter writer and apparently reliant on the long-past-it, Prof Pennington as a source, insists that we cannot yet compare the pandemic management performance of the four UK governments. I can see why he might want to do that: Those bare facts are probably enough but we also know that NHS Scotland was never overwhelmed in the way that several English hospitals were, because we have far more beds and staff thanks to SNP Government, and we know from academics that Scottish Government messaging was more consistent and effective than that of the Johnson regime … Continue reading Scottish Government has done far better on pandemic control, if you just look at the data

A report in the Guardian today: Climate campaigners are worried an influx of officers from elsewhere in the UK will undermine Police Scotland’s commitment to rights-based policing of protests at Cop26. Groups planning protests around the critical November conference have told the Guardian they are concerned about the presence of officers from forces known for their use of heavy-handed tactics and that it is unclear how they will be held to account for their behaviour. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/07/cop26-activists-fear-influx-english-police-mar-friendly-approach-protest has prompted former Trump security advisor, D J Tulloch Jnr, now resident in Achiltibue, to repeat his advice to the Scottish Government on the … Continue reading Update: Policing fears prompt former Donald Trump advisor to say Scotland needs a hard border with England to keep out criminals AND police

Any excuse for a crisis, BBC Scotland get one consultant to tell them of the pressure in one hospital, Edinburgh Royal, and use that to justify the suggestion of a nation-wide ‘NHS crisis!’ EDI does seem objectively to be in trouble. They only see 60.8% of A&E patients in 4 hours compared to the national average of 72.7% or NHS Tayside at 92.1%. Dr Whitworth, above, associate medical director for NHS Lothian and the rest of the board need to do something, I’d say and not just wait for the Health Secretary to solve their problems with more money. BBC … Continue reading Could the Associate Medical Director of a health board be responsible for anything, BBC Scotland?

From the Herald today: Scotland has the UK’s best petrol supply according to average fuel stock levels which were recorded at the end of the day on Sunday. New Government figures show filling stations in Britain had an average fuel stock level of 25% on Sunday, down from 33% before the crisis, however Scotland had an above average level of how full filling station storage tanks were. The average fuel stock in Scotland was ahead of all other regions at 35%, followed closely by North-east England which saw filling station storage tanks at an average of 33%. Fuel shortages continue across … Continue reading Chaos at Herald as they reveal ‘Scotland has best petrol supply’

He can’t help it. Clearly still a wee lad himself, the Herald’s Iain Macwhirter can’t help liking, maybe wishing he was, an Alpha, just a tad. In April 2021 on Big Game Phil: In December 2020: Mr Johnson is a most unlikely history man. Most political commentators, myself included, dismissed him as a charlatan, a buffoon, an intellectually lazy chancer who just got lucky when he was elected London Mayor in 2008. But no one has a lucky streak as long as his without having a touch of genuine political genius. But when it comes to smart young women having the nerve to … Continue reading Macwhirter’s weakness for lovable rogues and fear of strong women

Scotsman writer, former adviser to Lord McConnell and Labour Councillor, Susan Dalgety, is quick to condemn the FM with the faux indignation of the sociopath: It’s a Labour pattern of behaviour as they creepily groom unsuspecting relatives and promise them revenge on professionals they can connect to the SNP Government: Sarwar has been revelling in telling this tale of Millie Main since the tragic death 4 years ago. In a recent TV debate, when Sturgeon responds, he twice shouts ‘Millie Main’ at her. Today a factual observation on support for independence in the different age groups is turned by Dalgety … Continue reading Labour’s faked feelings

From BBC Wales today: Long delays outside hospitals are costing ambulance crews thousands of hours when they are unable to respond to other calls, a new report has found. It found frequent delays were having a “detrimental” impact on the NHS’s ability to care for patients. and this sensible suggestion: The report makes 20 recommendations and says the ambulance service, health boards and Welsh government need to work together to make improvements. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58817600 What no apology from the First Minister or the Health Secretary? No suggestions of shame? No pictures of the Health Secretary looking sad? Not a word from … Continue reading Ambulance service, health boards and government need to work together

Among my several deficits is the law. Luckily, others are less challenged and have firmly put this playground game back in its box: First, the current Tory hypocrisy: Second, what this really means for Scotland: Continue reading Scotsman accused of manipulating readers with tosh