According to the Herald: NHS workers in Scotland are at “breaking point” due to staffing shortages and heavy workloads, while more than half do not feel valued in their jobs, according to a new survey. A poll by Unite Scotland found that more than 80 per cent of workers have experienced staff shortages, while four in five have also had to work over their contracted hours. Typically, liked a failed S6 project, this report, released only to the Herald it seems and so not open to scrutiny, does not tell us what we need to know before we can take any notice … Continue reading Unreliable NHS staff survey by trade union tells us nothing

For more than a month now, there have been zero confirmed cases of death from Covid-19. The Scottish line in the above graph is barely visible as it hugs the x axis (bottom). Though reduced dramatically, death remains present in the Covid wards in the other parts of the UK. Is it unreasonable to suggest that this must have something to do with the performance of our hospitals? NHS Scotland’s ambulance service and its A&E departments are quicker in response than elsewhere. NHS Scotland has more doctors and nurses per capita than elsewhere. SNP policies have kept catering and cleaning … Continue reading Can Scotland’s hospitals claim the credit when zero deaths have become the new normal?

I know, I’ve done this sort of thing before but it’s important to build up a body of evidence to prove something is more than a one-off. From BBC Essex this morning: A maternity unit has been rated inadequate after a “lack of learning” from a mother’s death has led to the “same failings” in new serious cases. Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors turned up unannounced at Basildon University Hospital, Essex, after a whistleblower voiced fears. The watchdog told the department to improve last year, but returned due to concerns about six cases this year. The unit was criticised following … Continue reading Horrific failures in Essex hospital lead to no calls for Hancock’s head

Why do I think Finlay is a youngster like Ms Duffy at the Herald? He writes: Children across Scotland began returning to school last week for the first time since the forced closure of education centres in March. The restart of education has been a priority of the Scottish government since the country began slowly emerging from a coronavirus-induced lockdown, but the first week of education has been punctuated with outbreaks at [sic] schools. Only 18 out of more than 700 000 pupils linked to Scottish schools make up this ‘punctuation‘. Is that enough for ‘punctuation?‘ Would this be better? … Continue reading Covid-19 correspondent ‘in’ Scotsman even worse than one ‘at’ Herald

Herald reporter Elle Duffy has discovered a shocking factor in the ‘Coatbridge 9‘ Covid-19 outbreak, – 5 are of school age and 3 are not. The 9th member is presumably not of school age and not not of school age neither. The Coatbridge cluster has been linked with a nearby Glasgow cluster and both with a house party at an undisclosed address. Sources linked to a local university have said that which school some of the group were due to return to last week is irrelevant to their research and that media attention to this factor is both stupid and … Continue reading Herald is able to reveal that some of Coatbridge Covid-19 cluster are of school age and some are not

When I saw this, my first reaction was disbelief. Is there no one in the editor’s office? This headline clearly suggests that there are Coronavirus outbreaks in Scotland’s schools. Elle Duffy (14?) writes: There are around 1 million pupils, teachers and other staff in Scotland’s schools, 20% or 1 in 5 of the population. There are around 250 people thought to be infectious at the moment so, statistically you might expect 50 of those to be pupils, teachers or school staff. According to Duffy there have been (only) 20 cases ‘connected ‘ to schools in Scotland. Sometimes it’s hard to … Continue reading SHOCK: Most communities which have Covid-19 outbreaks have schools too: A new low in stupid scare-mongering by the Herald

There are more than 700 000 pupils in Scotland’s schools. At the time of writing, 8 or around 1 in 100 000, have been diagnosed as having Covid-19. My understanding is that 2 of them have not attended the schools. All 8 are thought to have been infected in their communities and there is no evidence of any spread of the virus within the schools. Despite this, our MSM is awash with excited accounts, of no informative value, only the potential, for unjustified anxiety and, of course, to feed opposition parties with something they can use to cast doubt on … Continue reading Calls for Swinney to explain how so few returning pupils have Covid-19

In the Herald (of the Apocalypse) today: Three pupils at separate primary schools have tested positive for coronavirus. Renfrewshire Council said a case has been confirmed at Todholm Primary School in Paisley, while two cases have been detected in pupils in Perth and Kinross. What CAN we do? I know. Keep them at home for 14 days and ask their families to self-isolate for the same period. Then they can come back. Perhaps the schools could put some blended learning online for them and maybe even lend them laptops? It’s only three. No? Monica Lennon says it’s a crisis. Swinney … Continue reading How can we help worried parents as the SNP return to school policy FAILS to prevent THREE out of THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR primary pupils getting Covid-19?

In the Herald today, contributing to the BBC campaign to close Scotland’s schools and force Swinney’s resignation, we read of one parent planning to keep her autistic son home because he is so anxious. I’m sure we can all empathise. It must be a very difficult time for her. As someone who in my younger years might have been put on that spectrum, I know that crippling anxiety is one of the worst symptoms. Hopefully the school will be able to offer some blended learning to compensate for the time missed. Perhaps the Herald and BBC Scotland could consider doing … Continue reading SNP return to school strategy ‘in tatters’ as ONE in ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY pupils is kept home by understandably anxious parent

Former Tory SPAD, Andy Maciver headlining in the Herald today with the above, writes: THERE was a time when I wanted to be a Member of the Scottish Parliament. I wanted to do the job for the same reason that most MSPs want to do the job: I thought I could change public policy for the better, and help to create better lives for more people. I’d be lying if I told you all that I don’t still feel twinges from time to time, urging me to weigh in. However the notion now only invades my personal space after a … Continue reading Carlaw, Fraser, Davidson, Tomkins, Leonard, Kelly, Lennon, Baillie, Rennie? No? You want Swinney? You sure? Folk will laugh.