From: stewartb [The editor takes full credit for the headline. Stewartb is innocent. T-shirts available] We just can’t allow too much unalloyed good being attributed to this Scottish Government! I’m pleased that after her longstanding advocacy Monica Lennon’s bill for universal provision is receiving support but you’re right, we should not forget the antecedents to this new legislation. Source: https://theconversation.com/ending-period-poverty-scotlands-plan-for-free-menstrual-products-shatters-taboos-and-leads-a-global-movement-103138 “In August 2018, Scotland made history as the country leading a global movement to end period poverty. The government pledged to invest £5.2m to provide free menstrual products in schools, colleges and universities across the country. Period supplies will be available … Continue reading There ain’t no sanitary clause when it comes to the products of Monica Lennon’s imagination

Orpington’s Princess Royal Hospital in deepest Tory Kent, seat of Jo Johnson with a 60% majority, was inspected in November 2019 and the report published last week. It’s frankly horrific and if known locally must be spreading fear and panic. The inspectors wrote: ‘Morale across the department remained low and with that the culture of learned helplessness within the department remained. There was still a disparity in the thinking of the department leadership and the senior divisional leaders with regards to support to the department. The ‘done too’ culture remained within the department.’ Click to access rjz30_location_princess_royal_university_hospital_newapproachfocused_20191219%20final.pdf One Scottish hospital, … Continue reading ‘A culture of learned helplessness!’ Is this Kent hospital in PM’s brother’s seat the worst in Britain? Why is BBC unaware?

The emergency services at King’s College Hospital in London were inspected in November 2019 and the report appeared last week. They were found to be unsafe. The inspectors found: The service still did not ensure staff had completed mandatory training, and expected targets were not always being achieved. The service still did not have fully suitable premises. There was no dedicated paediatric mental health assessment room available and there was a lack of consideration given to ligature points. Consumable single use equipment items were not rotated properly to ensure all items were in date. Patients could not access care and … Continue reading Damning report into ‘unsafe’ English hospital where A&E target is missed by nearly 40% ignored by BBC

Only months after the report of at least 42 avoidable baby deaths and more than 50 newborns suffering avoidable brain damage in an English hospital, Reporting Scotland presented an extended report into an Elgin hospital. The report finds flaws only in procedures but NO cases of actual harm. Once more, Reporting Scotland misinform their viewers and now panic those about to give birth in Elgin. In a long and unbalanced report, only negative soundbites are offered and disproportionate time is given to the views of non-professionals, to express, no doubt genuine but unsubstantiated, feelings of anxiety about the hospital. Only … Continue reading Reporting Scotland leaves it to the very end to tell you there was no evidence of harm in a ‘damning’ hospital report

Today Smith writes: ‘I call up some teachers and parents and ask them if they’ve seen the new report on the Higher results. Yes, they’ve seen it, and no, they’re not surprised. They tell me about class sizes, and staff shortages, and the effect it’s all having on the kids. But they also tell me something interesting about how it might impact on the Scottish elections. My advice to the Government would be: sit up and pay attention because this is definitely going to affect you.’ https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18256399.mark-smith-scotlands-parents-teachers-tell-us-snps-chances-2021/ ‘I call up some teachers and parents’ You have to laugh. How many … Continue reading Herald’s Mark Smith hits new low in reporting on SNP’s electoral chances

In November we read, regarding the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital Trust: ‘At least 42 babies and three mothers may have died unnecessarily and more than 50 newborns suffered avoidable brain damage at a hospital trust, in what is believed to be the worst maternity scandal in NHS history.’ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/19/leaked-report-exposes-nhs-worst-ever-maternity-scandal-shrewsbury-and-telford-hospital-trust At least 42 avoidable baby deaths and 50 with avoidable brain injury! Today BBC Scotland and other Scottish media, in particular the Press & Journal, have damned Elgin Hospital after its maternity ward review found faults in its procedures. In the reports, we see: ‘No evidence of a trend in adverse outcomes for … Continue reading Scottish hospital damned by media despite NO avoidable baby deaths or brain damage

From Contrary: Strange world of judiciary: https://www.scottishlegal.com/article/supreme-court-justice-says-any-attempted-erosion-of-judicial-independence-will-be-opposed “The Supreme Court justice said: “Occasionally following a Scottish appeal, I venture a mild complaint to him about the jargon surrounding Scottish legal procedure. “Lord Hodge then tends to snap back that there is just as much jargon in the law of England and Wales but that I am used to it – which is absurd of course.” He added: “The Law School at Edinburgh is justified in its expression of pride in its two great sons. Today, the whole of Scotland will be celebrating – well except, possibly, in Ibrox.” He concluded: … Continue reading The Faculty of Advocates on Scotland in the EU

Image Medium From Contrary: On the safety of medical treatment for children:This Sunday Times articles gives a good balanced view of where things are at regarding the sudden upsurge in giving children (that feel unhappy with their body) a range of medical drugs that include what is known as puberty blockers. The article says there is to be a judicial review – about time in my view – but does not give details on when or where. The drugs being used are all passed for certain uses, just not for the combination being used or for pre-pubescent children, that is, … Continue reading Why the SNP Government’s ‘softly softly’ approach could be the right one on puberty-blockers

Hold your horses! Don’t say ‘I thought you were an effin professor? This is nonsensical non-research!’ I know that. I was a professor. I taught research methods. I supervised PhD students. I got published in ‘top’ peer-reviewed journals! I know what this is. It’s just a wee Twitter survey only slightly better than a BBC Scotland random survey of folk in the High Street, Daftown. A self-selecting sample of 446 out of 3 800 followers is offered here as merely ‘interesting innit?’ Obviously, self-selection biases the sample toward those who are angry about this and probably over-states their number. If … Continue reading Will the Gender Identity Act weaken support for the SNP?

The full article in Open Democracy on 19th February, from which this comes, makes no specific reference to the UK, presumably accepting, uncritically, it’s high rating, but one commentator, ‘BC’, wrote below: ‘It’s very difficult to take these conclusions seriously. That the UK with its monarchy, unelected second chamber, first past the post electoral system and market fundamentalist economy to be considered a full democracy is bad enough.’ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/democraciaabierta/qu%C3%A9-pasa-con-la-democracia-en/ They are spot on and highlight the strong attraction for us to become more thoroughly democratic, and get the ‘elite’ dark green shading like our neighbours in Scandinavia and Ireland. Continue reading Another good reason for Scottish independence is to become more democratic