In March 2019, BBC Scotland made much of this story based, as often before, on the uninformed anxiety of relatives: Prosecutors are investigating the death of a third patient at a Glasgow hospital. Mito Kaur, 63, was one of two patients affected by a fungal infection, Mucor, at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Two other patients died after contracting a separate fungal infection linked to pigeon droppings. An inspection of the hospital published last week raised concerns about levels of cleanliness. Ms Kaur was admitted to the hospital on 7 January and died at 02:00 on Thursday, a day before her 64th … Continue reading BBC Scotland FAILS to report when investigation shows patient was NOT killed by fungal infection

In the Independent yesterday: The amount of land being used to build new homes in England’s most flood-prone areas has more than doubled in a year, figures reveal. Countryside activists have said the increase signalled future flooding misery for homeowners and headaches for insurance companies. And they blamed successive governments for forcing councils to accept development without flood risk surveys and without obligatory water-management measures. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/flood-land-homes-houses-insurance-development-cpre-a9243001.html As far back as 2006, researchers at the English College of Estates Management, whose patron is HRH Prince of Wales, made a number of highly encouraging comments about the achievements of the Labour-run Scottish Executive, SEPA and the … Continue reading As Tory England rushes to build on flood-plains what is the situation in Scotland?

Headlined in the Guardian on Christmas Day 2019: Thousands of children in care are increasingly being placed in homes that are illegal or unregulated, in what critics have labelled a national scandal, a Guardian investigation has found. A lack of places to house vulnerable children in the UK is prompting a surge in placements that are less safe. These include those that are unregulated or not registered with Ofsted. MPs, the police, charities and the children’s commissioner warn that children accommodated in these homes are at risk of exploitation from sexual predators and drug gangs. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/dec/25/revealed-thousands-children-care-unregulated-homes As always, the report conflates … Continue reading On Christmas Day we hear of how Tory England betrays its children but nothing of how SNP Scotland does not

Abertay academic and Brexit candidate, Dr Waiton is everywhere, with a range of contrarian, libertarian (?) opinions to delight editors. He ‘successfully’ campaigned against the SNP’s Named Person Scheme and the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act. That turned out well. He called proposals to make it easier for children to choose their own gender ‘state-sponsored child abuse.’ Abertay’s LGBT+ community have accused him of bullying. He has called revulsion of Nazi salutes a ‘moral panic.’ According to the Herald, in October 2018, he argues that ‘Men in Scotland are now at risk of being branded ‘rapist’ for political and ideological reasons, following … Continue reading Your Herald Xmas Breakfast Clickbait: A strong white male Brexit candidate attacks the SNP’s inclusive ideology as authoritarian

In November NHS Scotland A&E departments saw 84.04% of patients within 4 hours. https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Emergency-Care/Publications/2019-12-10/Summary-Weekly/index.asp Note: I had to average the weekly November figures. In NHS England, only 71.3% were seen within 4hrs*. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2019-20/ *Remember NHS England starts the clock again after patients are admitted while NHS Scotland counts from arrival in A&E, so the gap is probably much bigger. https://inews.co.uk/news/health/nhs-england-covering-up-true-scale-of-12-hour-hospital-waits-1335856 Remember also: You are MORE THAN TWICE as likely to spend more than 12 hours waiting in A&E in NHS England than in NHS Scotland *Footnote: 13 is 18% of 71 so you might say its 18% better? Continue reading As winter bites NHS Scotland A&E is still massive 13%* better even though NHS England fiddles the figures!

In 2015, the Daily Mail shouted indignantly that ‘only 15 people in the whole of Scotland were taken to court over TV licence evasion compared to 173,966 fee evaders in England and 15,383 people in Wales!’ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3715570/English-Welsh-viewers-three-times-likely-prosecuted-fined-dodging-TV-licence-fee-Scotland.html But, in March 2018, Mr T. Wotcher ‘s Freedom of Information request to the BBC asked of the period 2016-2018:1) How many reports have you submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland and; 2) How many people have been successfully prosecuted for evading a TV Licence in Scotland”  The BBC claimed thatthe number of cases reported was 12,385 and that the number of cases heard that have resulted either in a fiscal fine or a conviction at the Sheriff’s court was 12,263. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/464777/response/1126398/attach/html/4/RFI20180295%20Response.pdf.html But, but, in May 2019, a FoI request to the Scottish Government, seemed to suggest that only 11 had been prosecuted in the courts with … Continue reading As TV licence evasion soars by 33% to more than 6 000 in one year, were only 6 Scots prosecuted?

The wisdom of ‘children?’ Continue reading The fresh face of Scotland’s 18-24 year-olds with only one wee plook in Edinburgh South

In the Herrod today, this delightful bawl of confusion: ‘IT can be readily conceded that the SNP performed somewhat better in the General Election earlier this month. It is fairly obvious to many that such a result was largely attributable to what one can describe as a Brexit bounce rather than an endorsement of the SNP’s stellar performance in the devolutionary governance of Scotland. For confirmation of that let us consider, for example, a few headlines in The Herald from this current month: December 3, “International tests see record low results for Scottish school pupils”; December 6, “Outgoing Police Scotland watchdog calls for better … Continue reading Herald letter-writer inadvertently exposes its shoddy biased journalism

Retired professor of media politics, Dr John Robertson, has predicted that the Johnson government will radically reduce funding for the BBC and de-criminalise licence-fee avoidance, with devastating consequences for BBC Scotland News, already the least popular element within the service. Robertson says that only a radical and bold move can save this champion of the Union and, in particular, its leading characters, Smith, Campbell, Fraser and Summers. Their role in the Bitter Together movement has made them prime targets for removal after independence and, unlike some of the less-tainted junior staff, they would struggle to find a home elsewhere. In … Continue reading Leading media academic says slimmed-down BBC Scotland News should move to Tory HQ when licence fee is abolished

From reader, Sam: Pilger’s film, The Dirty War on the NHS was shown on STV at 11.05pm. It can be accessed until Jan 17 on STV player by opening an account. Link here. https://player.stv.tv/summary/deadly-spin-nhs. I hope it can be kept as a resource. It provides an overview of the prolonged, stealthy attack on NHS England by all the major UK parties, Conservative, Labour and Liberals (in coalition). The privatising of cleaning and porter services under Thatcher has resulted not only in poorer pay and conditions for the NHS staff transferred but in lower standards of performance. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7372992.stm “In 2015 and 2016 … Continue reading The English patient is at risk