Significant fall in ‘bed-blocking’ in just six months as Scotland’s better integrated health and care system improves further
Image – https://www.homecare-scotland.co.uk/services Professor John Robertson OBA From Delayed discharges in NHS Scotland monthly Figures for May 2025 published today, we see that the number of delayed bed days occupied in a calendar month peaked at 46 150 in October 2024 and has been in a falling trend since, for six months, to 43 933 in March 2025. That’s a fall of 2 217 days, or 4.8%. How is this contributing to and benefiting from Scotland’s better integrated health and care system? This: Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-may-2025/downloads/ Continue reading Significant fall in ‘bed-blocking’ in just six months as Scotland’s better integrated health and care system improves further
The cringe lives on – the deep irony of setting a play about a collapsing A&E service in Glasgow
Professor John Robertson OBA Above, a hospital in England where the A&E roof really did collapse but when Kilbarchan-based playwright, Uma Nada-Rajah, wrote Black Hole Sign for the Traverse Theatre, to be shown this autumn, she set it in Glasgow. When a hole appears in the roof of a crumbling and understaffed A&E department, patients, porters and nurses do what they must to make it through the night. Senior charge nurse Crea strives to deliver sage and effective care while porter Billy angles after a date. Staff nurse Ani juggles her bursting caseload, knowing that no one has come to … Continue reading The cringe lives on – the deep irony of setting a play about a collapsing A&E service in Glasgow
NHS Scotland’s emergency stroke treatment saving thousands but the service remains in crisis in England after a year of Labour
Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks to Brenda Robb for both alerting me to this and for research assistance. In the Guardian today, the above, and: The NHS has repeatedly failed in its diagnosis and care of stroke patients, England’s health ombudsman has said. According to the World Stroke Association, more than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year and 6.5 million will die as a result. Strokes are one of the UK’s biggest killers, causing about 34,000 deaths a year, and the single biggest cause of severe disability. The NHS Fast campaign aims to raise awareness of the most common symptoms of … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s emergency stroke treatment saving thousands but the service remains in crisis in England after a year of Labour
Renewables not nuclear fully confirmed in every detail as the intelligent choice for Scotland by two expert impartial sources
By stewartb I asked both ChatGPT and Grok the following question: ‘Given its actual and potential ability to generate green electricity from onshore wind, offshore wind and tidal power, should Scotland invest in more battery storage and reliable sources like tidal energy or in nuclear generation, mindful of cost and legacy of nuclear waste? ChatGPT concluded: ‘Scotland should prioritize investment in offshore wind, tidal energy, and battery storage. These technologies have the potential to provide a more reliable, clean, and cost-effective energy system while minimizing long-term environmental and financial risks. Nuclear energy could remain a small part of the overall … Continue reading Renewables not nuclear fully confirmed in every detail as the intelligent choice for Scotland by two expert impartial sources
Scottish newspaper is suppressing fair and informative debate on new nuclear power in Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald in recent weeks has had a heavy presence of reports pushing for new nuclear power stations to be be built in Scotland along with a few token oppositional reports such as one on the cracks in the ageing Torness reactor. The overwhelming message [Try searching for ‘Herald nuclear‘ to see for yourself.) has been that the SNP is betraying Scotland’s industrial, employment and energy prospects and completely ignoring the plethora of reports here revealing the weakness of, and the risks in, the case for new nuclear energy in Scotland. To read these, click on: … Continue reading Scottish newspaper is suppressing fair and informative debate on new nuclear power in Scotland
In current heatwaves, Labour’s new nuclear reactors will be more vulnerable to lower efficiency and productivity
Professor John Robertson OBA TuS Reader Legerwood commented yesterday under our piece on the widespread corrosion of Frances’s nuclear reactors (https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2025/06/27/reliability-of-nuclear-energy-takes-another-blow-as-france-fears-return-to-2022-when-57-of-all-reactors-were-offline-due-to-corrosion/): It is not just corrosion in its nuclear reactors that France has to worry about. The high temperatures that France now regularly experiences -at the moment 40C or above – affects the nuclear reactors and can lead to them being taken off-line. The high temperatures also heat up river water etc and reduce the water available making it difficult to cool the reactors leading to shut downs. All in all not a good time to go nuclear when the … Continue reading In current heatwaves, Labour’s new nuclear reactors will be more vulnerable to lower efficiency and productivity
English mega farms polluting the Scottish environment with excrement and air pollution and exploiting the weakness of devolved environmental legislation which only full independence would resolve
Professor John Robertson OBA The Ferret factchecker today has: Revealed: The mega farms polluting the environment with excrement – Mega farms in Scotland, including some with more than a million animals, have repeatedly leaked excrement and failed to monitor contamination, putting humans, wildlife and the environment at risk, The Ferret can reveal. By failing to responsibly contain or dispose of slurry, wastewater and harmful air particles these industrial-sized farms were responsible for 126 breaches of green regulations between May 2022 and November 2024. The rule breaking is revealed in inspection reports compiled by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), which … Continue reading English mega farms polluting the Scottish environment with excrement and air pollution and exploiting the weakness of devolved environmental legislation which only full independence would resolve
Scotland’s free prescriptions and cleaner air saving lives of thousands of asthma sufferers and reducing GP visits as they surge in rUK
Professor John Robertson OBA Headlining in the Guardian today, the above and: The number of patients being treated by GPs for asthma attacks has increased by 45% in a year, prompting calls for urgent action to tackle toxic levels of air pollution. There were 45,458 presentations to family doctors in England between January and June this year, according to data from the Royal College of General Practitioners research and surveillance centre. Across the same period in 2024, there were 31,376 cases. The figures come a week after a damning report by the Royal College of Physicians revealed that 99% of the UK population was now breathing … Continue reading Scotland’s free prescriptions and cleaner air saving lives of thousands of asthma sufferers and reducing GP visits as they surge in rUK
Reliability of nuclear energy takes another blow as France fears return to 2022, when 57% of all reactors were offline due to corrosion
Professor John Robertson OBA Frances McKie has just alerted me to this reserved report from Reuters on the Civaux 2 nuclear reactor in France: PARIS, June 11 (Reuters) – European power contracts jumped on Wednesday on concerns France might have to reduce its nuclear output after the industry regulator said it had identified “hints” of possible stress corrosion in a reactor. The ASNR watchdog said testing had highlighted possible defects in the Civaux 2 reactor, but that there was no confirmation of corrosion at this stage and more testing was required. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/report-defects-french-nuclear-reactor-civaux-2-lifts-european-power-market-2025-06-11/ On it’s own and with that wording, it … Continue reading Reliability of nuclear energy takes another blow as France fears return to 2022, when 57% of all reactors were offline due to corrosion
Murder rate in Scotland falls to same level as in Denmark, one of the safest places in the World
Professor John Robertson OBA Scotland’s media continue to utterly ignore the murder rate in Scotland falling to the lowest level ever in recorded history and 20% lower than in England and Wales. How does this compare with other European countries? Denmark’s population is 5.97 million, 9.7% greater than Scotland’s 5.44 million. In 2024/2025, there were 44 murders in Scotland and 48 in Denmark1, 9.07% more than in Scotland. The murder rate in Denmark, 0.0804 cases per 100K, is lower than in Scotland, 0.0808 cases per 100K, but not statistically significantly different. Sources: Continue reading Murder rate in Scotland falls to same level as in Denmark, one of the safest places in the World
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