Thanks to a parliamentary question by Brian Whittle MSP (SCAUP), yesterday, Jeanne Freeman has been able to inform us that there has been a 45.8% increase in the number of Rheumatology consultants working across NHS Scotland. This takes the WTE up from 39.7 in 2006 to 57.9 in 2019. Click to access WA20200109.pdf Continue reading Significant increase in number of Rheumatology Consultants in NHS Scotland under SNP

Continue reading Queensferry Crossing bad and Trident subs not in public interest

In a Freedom of Information response on 3rd January 2020, Police Scotland were prepared to say that they had employed 114 officers over the three days of the Scottish Conservative Branch conference in May 2019. They were not prepared to reveal the cost but judging by the only figures I could find (Cambridgeshire), we’re talking about around £60 per hour per officer or £480 per day plus some senior officer supervision at a higher rate. So, policing or rather protecting a handful of Tories cost around £60 000. The Conservative Party is flush with cash, dark and less dark. Did … Continue reading Massive policing costs for minority party conference not revealed!

From stewartb: In response to: ‘Boris Johnson’s abundant failure in government as his NHS England A&E waiting time figures for December plummet to new depths below 70%!’, yesterday: I too have no problem with your persistence on this topic. The BBC’s mis-reporting frequently angers (and frustrates) me. The A&E example you reference today was so blatant that it goaded me into this complaint (below) to the BBC – yet another waste of time, beyond perhaps some nuisance value, but I felt just a little better at the time of submitting it. Subject of complaint: this online article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51046616 ‘The article fails to … Continue reading Reader complains to BBC on misreporting of A&E figures

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/05/welfare-changes-key-factor-rising-poverty-food-bank-use-study-finds https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2019/10/03/joseph-rowntree-foundation-praises-snp-initiative-on-child-poverty/ Continue reading Recent tweets: Scotsman, Boris and the Donald…..

I know some don’t like my pursuit of this theme, but my purpose is not to gloat distastefully but rather to strike back at the moronic accusations of the ‘abundant failures in government’ from the Tories. Readers will know, from this blog, that there is almost no area in which Scotland’s public services do not return better statistics than those of England, Wales or Northern Ireland. A&E waiting times are, however, the best measure of performance, at the edge of life and death, daily. In December 2019, NHS England’s Type 1 A&E departments treated only 68.6% within four hours. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/ … Continue reading Boris Johnson’s abundant failure in government as his NHS England A&E waiting time figures for December plummet to new depths below 70%!

Ludo Thierry Confess I was seeing little media over recent festive season but certainly never noticed beeb carrying the good news about 96% of Scotland’s new parents (and their babies!) accessing their wonderful Baby Boxes during 2019 . Can’t help but speculate whether a certain Corporal Signaller (TA) requested one for the birth of her fine wee lad. Given the rarity of her Constituency ‘surgeries’ she would certainly have had the time to complete the Baby Box application info. Link and snippets below: https://news.gov.scot/news/45-000-baby-boxes-delivered-in-2019 More than 45,000 baby boxes have been delivered to expectant parents in 2019. Across Scotland 96% … Continue reading BBC Scotland learn to love formerly unsafe SNP baby boxes!

By Ludo Thierry: The ever excellent SNP MP Tommy Sheppard has combined with the National to circulate some useful short-form update info on the House of Lords reflection of today’s Scottish society (spoiler – no realistic reflection whatsoever). Link and snippet below: (Note in particular the disparity in privately purchased education percentage amongst ‘Scottish’ peers as compared to the relevant full population figures – privilege can be, and is being, purchased every day of the year in ‘British’ Scotland): https://www.thenational.scot/news/18139045.hard-facts-lords-analysis/ SOME facts and figures about the House of Lords from SNP MP Tommy Sheppard’s analysis: • Number of peers: 781 … Continue reading Scotland’s Unionist Lords claim nearly £3 million in expenses for…..

By Ludo Thierry: Users of services provided by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) staff are extremely satisfied – with 92 per cent of people who took part in a survey declaring their overall satisfaction. This equals the record satisfaction level of 92 per cent recorded in the 2017 survey. Ninety-seven per cent of respondents said they found staff polite and 96 per cent found staff to be helpful. These ratings are unchanged from 2017. Over two thirds of the 2,483 public and professional court users surveyed were very or fairly satisfied with how long they waited to take … Continue reading 97% satisfaction with Scottish courts and tribunals

Journalism is all about choices. BBC Scotland have a charter requiring them to to inform. For you to be informed fully, requires that they make choices to provide accuracy and context. Today, under the headline: Record numbers wait more than 12 hours in Scottish A&Es, we heard how many people had waited for more than 12 hours in A&E in November 2019 and later in the report we heard: Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative health spokesman, said: “It is utterly unacceptable that almost 1,000 people waited in A&E for over 12 hours last month, most likely in fear and pain. The … Continue reading SHOCK as BBC Scotland DO NOT tell you that rich Canada is 50 times worse at meeting A&E waiting times!