Ludo Thierry Despite the massive bandwidth being occupied (understandably) by the Covid 19 developments NHS Scotland is continuing to introduce improved systems and therapies as these become available across the whole gamut of healthcare issues. The most welcome introduction of an improved screening procedure for Cervical smear tests got some media coverage at the weekend but was easy to miss in amongst the Covid 19 headlines. Link and snippet from news.gov.scot below: https://news.gov.scot/news/smear-test-to-screen-for-hpv Improved test to prevent cervical cancer. Cervical screening tests will now also screen for the human papillomavirus (HPV) – the main cause of cervical cancer. From Monday, … Continue reading NHS Scotland has time for other things too

In the art gallery sat opposite the famed Duke of Wellington statue, Sir Billy says it’s not the traffic cone that draws him to the Glasgow icon, but cigarettes:  “There are sculptures of historical Scottish events [around the plinth], and there’s one of a boy leaving home obviously to join the Jacobites or something, and he’s waving to his mother in the cottage as he goes out the door.” Ludo Thierry STV News site carrying an interesting short embedded interview with Billy Connolly regarding his current art exhibition in Glasgow – but expand the interview to include his observations regarding … Continue reading If Scotland wants it, Scotland will get it, and I’ll be there clapping

IT IS A DEMONSTRABLE FACT: INDEPENDENCE BRINGS AGENCY, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND PURPOSEFUL SOLIDARITY By stewartb: When one reads the kind of headline below in the context of Scotland’s future (they are all too common, alas) it’s hard not to become – just – bored! “Virus battle will show that co-operation beats separation every time.” https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/03/16/articulacy-beats-inarticulacy-every-time/ Knowingly peddling the ‘plain wrong’ Suggesting that in actions on health – or indeed in any other field of public policy endeavour – there is a binary choice for Scotland between ‘separation’ and ‘co-operation’ is plain wrong: actually it’s plain daft! However, whilst the authors … Continue reading Especially now, independence would be good for us

What is this morbid urge to get a big number for the headline? On the same page, 171 is equated to ‘nearly 200’. Oh no it isn’t. It might be ‘over 170’ if you want. And, what about this good news (tempting fate I know): Mortality rate in Scotland falls to 1 in 171 cases hospitalised from 1 in 151 yesterday. Perhaps a bit ghoulish but Johnson started it with the jibe about Scotland having issues with resilience: UK Mortality rate falls to 1 in 43 from 1 in 39 yesterday. I know, too soon, too small a sample, too … Continue reading Coronavirus jumps to 200! Well 200 minus 29

Singled out for greatness, this letter writer seems confused. Separation isn’t the opposite of cooperation. Non-cooperation is. You can be separate and still cooperate. You could be united in some arrangement and still not cooperate. It’s all a matter of goodwill. Does anyone think that Norway and Denmark, for example, will not cooperate to try to control the Coronavirus epidemic? There are even Chinese medics in France helping out with their unique expertise. I don’t suppose Johnson will ask them to help. British Bulldog spirit and all that? As things develop and the level of serious infection in some English … Continue reading Articulacy beats inarticulacy every time

The Times knew about this yesterday but, still today, BBC Scotland either don’t have a clue or find the notion of ‘Sturgeon’ leaving ‘Boris’ stumbling behind her, unacceptable: They did the same thing when the FM announced the shutting-down of large events before Boris could get around to changing his mind on it. Some readers will have spotted that those arch-Unionists, Boothman and Glackin, are the authors. They probably think they’ve caught the SNP out, not accepting their position meekly enough, not giving Boris time to pretend something is his idea and not letting him use his stupid playground line … Continue reading Why isn’t BBC Scotland telling us when Nicola leads Boris again on responding to virus?

20 babies dead or seriously harmed? More than 700 words written but not one mention of any government figure or even department. Matt Hancock? Who? It’s nothing to do with him. He’s not Jeanne Freeman. Imagine BBC Scotland had uncovered this: It found some senior doctors at the unit appeared “demotivated” and “deskilled”, describing midwives as “advocates for women” trying to ensure “safety within this maternity unit”. “There is a definite breakdown in relationships between medical and midwifery staff within the unit,” the report concluded. I bet you can write that headline yourself and find a suitably downbeat picture of … Continue reading Are 20 babies dead or seriously harmed a sign of ‘issues with resilience’ Mr Johnson?

As deaths due to Coronavirus doubled in the ‘UK’ yesterday, BBC Scotland scrabbling around desperately, seemed to think they’d usefully inform us that six old folk in a care home had been diagnosed with the deadly virus but, regrettably, didn’t require hospital treatment. They were going to go with this headline: ‘Coronavirus: Six Covid-19 cases at Lanarkshire care home’ Might that have scared some of the relatives unnecessarily? You know it would? To make things worse, the team, discover that the home is overseen by a consultant and that they’ve ‘implemented infection prevention and control measures’ with their ‘lovely’ in-house … Continue reading Coronavirus: Six old folk NOT very sick in Lanarkshire care home

We had to help out BBC Scotland again, to clarify just what is happening out there. The news, you know? They wanted to headline: ‘Coronavirus: NHS beds plan as 153 people test positive for Covid-19’ ‘Beds plan?’ More? Fewer? Bigger? Comfier? We need to know. We’re worried. As for the graphic under the headline, they were going to use this: What’s the point of that big red thing with the big red numbers? To scare folks? Ah, I see. Would it be informative to add the UK number of deaths, 35? What? They might think NHS Scotland was coping better? … Continue reading Coronavirus: NHS Scotland to DOUBLE number of intensive care beds

From stewartb: Dear BBC – Does Being ‘ASKED” mean the same as being ‘TOLD”? ‘Every Briton over the age of 70 will be TOLD “within the coming weeks” to stay at home for an extended period to shield them from coronavirus.’ But in the same online article it states: ‘When it happens, they will be ASKED to stay home for “a very long time”, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.’ Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51895873 Then the BBC1 6pm News on Sunday informs us that the over 70s would (just) be ‘ADVISED’ and ‘ASKED TO CONSIDER’. The confusion is if anything worse in the … Continue reading Tell us what you mean, Minister!