SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Daily Telegraph, 24 November 2025: SNP ministers decided to create their much-delayed Scottish NHS app from scratch after being warned against the “political optics of adopting” the existing English version. An assessment prepared for the Scottish Government on whether to “re-use” the English NHS app admitted that it was an “already usable and scalable digital platform”. It’s not clear who did the above assessment nor is it likely that the Telegraph is reporting all of it’s views give that they have missed a key factor – integration with social care services. Perhaps reflecting England’s failure to properly develop … Continue reading SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph
Road accident rate per head in England nearly THREE TIMES as high and casualty rate more than TWICE as high as in Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Scotsman on 30 November 2025: ‘Ridiculous’ SNP failure to introduce speed awareness courses despite success in England. SNP ministers’ failure to introduce speed awareness courses despite their success in England has been condemned as “ridiculous” and “deeply concerning” by opposition parties. MSPs are frustrated at the lack of progress, a decade after the Scottish Government indicated support for re-educating speeding drivers as an alternative to prosecution, having considered them for even longer. Not in the Scotsman report: Accident rate per million -Scotland 766; England 1 982, approaching 3 times as common. Total casualty rate per million – … Continue reading Road accident rate per head in England nearly THREE TIMES as high and casualty rate more than TWICE as high as in Scotland
Scotland’s natural gas surplus is worth more than £40 billion per year
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: Without secure supplies and adequate subsurface storage, the UK has come close to running out of gas, most notably in March 2013, when we were within hours of doing so. Given that 85% of the roughly 30m homes in the UK currently rely on gas for heating and cooking, pivoting away from the energy source is not going to happen soon. Furthermore, gas provides more than half of our electricity base load on cold, windless and dark days, meaning it’s critical that we have supplies for national security. As … Continue reading Scotland’s natural gas surplus is worth more than £40 billion per year
Scottish voters unlikely to embrace Reform UK
Professor John Robertson OBA Dani Garavelli, not for the first time, in the UK media telling them things about Scotland that make little sense: Almost 13 years ago, at a press briefing to launch Ukip’s first Scottish byelection campaign, Nigel Farage was run out of Edinburgh by jeering protesters. Back then, Ukip’s support was running at nearly 25% in the English local elections, and less than 1% in Scotland. On Saturday, Farage will venture back across the border to host a sold-out Reform UK campaign event in Falkirk, a town which has recently seen angry demonstrations outside a hotel hosting asylum seekers. While anti-racism protesters will … Continue reading Scottish voters unlikely to embrace Reform UK
Part-time MSP and GP allowed to malign Glasgow’s leading Cancer hospital based only on a few rain buckets after rain and contrary to official inspections finding no issues with building condition
Professor John Robertson OBA Sandesh Gulhane MSP, Conservative Shadowy Health Secretary has a casual visit to Scotland’s leading cancer care centre and spots rain-bins, after several days of rain last week. We don’t hear the number nor see any photos but with no other evidence offered, he and his Herald chums work up the above disgusting account. A Healthcare Improvement Scotland inspection report in January 2025 is glowing and makes only two requirements for action. Neither concerns the building.1 Not, of course mentioned by the Herald or Gulhane: The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow is widely regarded … Continue reading Part-time MSP and GP allowed to malign Glasgow’s leading Cancer hospital based only on a few rain buckets after rain and contrary to official inspections finding no issues with building condition
‘Westminster should learn from Holyrood before another generation pays the price.’ It would make more sense for the UK Labour Government to just replicate the Scottish Child Payment – Independent assessment
Professor John Robertson OBA This comparative assessment of the effectiveness in reducing child poverty with Labour’s newly announced Child Poverty Strategy or Scotland’s now established Child Payment has not been directly biased in favour of the views of Labour, the SNP or me but, unavoidably, will have been impacted by the weight of the recent media presence of the former. Nevertheless, I feel sure that Grok AI does not have a dog in this fight, based on my recent experience with it, when it comes to the Scottish context. So, will Labour’s new child poverty strategy work as well as … Continue reading ‘Westminster should learn from Holyrood before another generation pays the price.’ It would make more sense for the UK Labour Government to just replicate the Scottish Child Payment – Independent assessment
Why frailty among older people seems less common to GPs in Scotland – Stronger family cohesion and less family fragmentation
Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian yesterday: GPs failing older people living with frailty, National Audit Office finds Did the national audit report blame the Labour Government for any of this? Did it note that England had far fewer GPs per head than Scotland. No and no. I asked AI: Are there reports of GPs failing older people living with frailty in Scotland? While there are no explicit reports mirroring the recent National Audit Office (NAO) findings in England—where GPs were found to be failing in assessing and supporting older people living with frailty, with only 16-18% receiving key … Continue reading Why frailty among older people seems less common to GPs in Scotland – Stronger family cohesion and less family fragmentation
Internationally acclaimed Scottish writer’s latest on Scotland’s Radicals will open your eyes and even surprise you
Professor John Robertson OBA Ron Culley needs no introduction from me because AI can do it so much more fully it seems: Ron Culley is a Scottish author and former public sector executive, best known for his work as a novelist specializing in historical fiction, political thrillers, and biographical works with a focus on Scottish and Irish history.Literary CareerCulley has published over a dozen books, often blending fact and fiction to explore themes like Scottish independence, Irish republicanism, and social justice. His notable titles include: His writing has garnered international acclaim, with readers from all seven continents (including Antarctica) praising … Continue reading Internationally acclaimed Scottish writer’s latest on Scotland’s Radicals will open your eyes and even surprise you
NHS Scotland’s greater resilience and Scottish Government actions paying off as flu hospital admissions surge to FOUR times England with no reports of being overwhelmed
Professor John Robertson OBA You may remember in 2020, Boris Johnson saying that NHS Scotland had resilience problems which would harm its Covid response. In the end, the excess death rate in England was twice that in Scotland. Recently, we had Jackie Baillie making a similar morbid wish fulfilment prediction suggesting that the ‘SNP’ was not ready for winter. It’s not working out well for Baillie. Public Health Scotland (PHS) figures, external show that in the week of 24-30 November, lab-confirmed cases rose sharply to 1,759 compared with 845 the previous week. Hospital admissions as a result of the illness also rose … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s greater resilience and Scottish Government actions paying off as flu hospital admissions surge to FOUR times England with no reports of being overwhelmed
As Turkish yard delays small, simple-design, ferry again and again, here’s Clyde-based Ferguson Marine’s long track record of delivering them on-time and often commended in Parliament
Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald today: Scottish ferry built in Turkey delayed [again] with Christmas delivery ‘a challenge’ The contract for the MV Isle of Islay was awarded to Cemre Shipyard in Turkey in March 2022. She was expected to be delivered by the end of 2024 but has been delayed several times and seems most unlikely to make it in 2025, more than 1 year late. She is a smaller (107 cars), simpler vessel, just diesel-powered than the larger (117 car) new dual fuel-powered MV Glen Sannox. Has Ferguson Marine had to delay any simple diesel ferry … Continue reading As Turkish yard delays small, simple-design, ferry again and again, here’s Clyde-based Ferguson Marine’s long track record of delivering them on-time and often commended in Parliament
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 