Number assessed but not receiving local authority long-term support is at least around 60% greater in England than in Scotland
Professor John Robertson OBA From People requiring a social care assessment and care at home services published yesterday: The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,207 on 24 November 2025. This is slightly higher (3%) than the number of people (3,119) waiting for a care at home package this time last year (25 November 2024). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services-16-december-2025 From: Number of people receiving adult social care assessments, who have not received local authority social care support in the previous 12 months From April 2024 to September 2024, 285,000 people received a local authority adult … Continue reading Number assessed but not receiving local authority long-term support is at least around 60% greater in England than in Scotland
Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection
Professor John Robertson OBA From Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025, yesterday: The first dose of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is offered between 12 and 13 months old and the second dose at 3 years 4 months old. 92.5% of children had the first dose of MMR vaccine by 24 months of age. This rose to 95.9% for children who had reached age 5. Uptake of the second dose of MMR vaccine by 5 years was 90.6%, rising to 90.9% by age 6 years. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland/childhood-immunisation-statistics-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2025/ From Vaccine update: issue 365, November 2025 published on 26 … Continue reading Only Scotland and Wales meet WHO target for measles protection
If ever Police Scotland needed a new AI system this is it
Professor John Robertson OBA From Liberty Investigates today: Police forces are trialling AI technology that enables them to identify and track “suspicious” journeys by drivers on Britain’s road network. They are using an app which analyses data collected by automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, using artificial intelligence to identify vehicles that may be linked to “county lines” activity, whereby criminal gangs move drugs across the road network. Police have until now used the UK’s network of more than 12,000 fixed and nearly 1,900 mobile ANPR cameras to generate alerts when a “vehicle of interest” passes a particular location or … Continue reading If ever Police Scotland needed a new AI system this is it
How one Nottinghamshire man might have survived an ‘avoidable’ deadly sepsis infection had he been cared for in one of Scotland’s post-Sturgeon cleaner hospitals
Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Nottinghamshire today, the above and: The care given to a 45-year-old man with disabilities who died from sepsis after not being given the correct medication for 34 hours has been described as a “shambles” by his mother. The father of two – named only as Graham – was taken into Bassetlaw Hospital in Nottinghamshire with an infection in November 2022. An investigation by Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) noted doctors did not follow advice from the mother, care home staff or paramedics to give him intravenous (IV) antibiotics rather than oral as it … Continue reading How one Nottinghamshire man might have survived an ‘avoidable’ deadly sepsis infection had he been cared for in one of Scotland’s post-Sturgeon cleaner hospitals
UK unemployment 35% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland
in the three months to October it has increased to just over 5% according to official figures. BBC Breakfast had an extended piece this morning on the above concern for the UK (sic), the ‘highest level since 2021′ with a focus on young people BBC Scotland did not cover the issue even though it might have been informative for their audience. Why? First, UK Unemployment surges to massive 35% higher than in Scotland – will ‘SNP’ Government get the credit just as they would have been blamed if it was the other way round? These two headlines today and the … Continue reading UK unemployment 35% higher, youth unemployment 40% higher than in Scotland
Shocking contrast as nearly twice as many Scots have access to an NHS dentist as those in England
Professor John Roberson OBA BBC Breakfast had extended and intensive coverage on the dentistry crisis in England, with the above images of queues around the block to even get on a dentist’s waiting list, and a minister admitting that folk are using pliers on themselves, 18 months after his government came to power. BBC Scotland is not covering this topic. Here’s why: Shocking contrast as nearly twice as many Scots have access to an NHS dentist as those in England Professor John Robertson OBA The above table from Public Health Scotland today, reveals a very high level of access to free NHS dental treatment … Continue reading Shocking contrast as nearly twice as many Scots have access to an NHS dentist as those in England
Respect? Why Scotland’s resident doctors delayed their ballot until after the deadly flu season’s predicted peak
Professor John Robertson OBA At least four of the above stories, including the resident doctor strike news, in the midst of a flu epidemic, concern only NHS England. BBC Scotland have no apparent health worries for us. Why no reporting? The Scottish Resident Doctors vote does not close until 19 December 2025 with strike action unlikely until January. Why have they delayed until this point? Flu cases tend to decline in early January, year after year. Why would the NHS England resident doctors not have delayed? This: See that ‘still?’ This goes back to earlier experience of the doctors and … Continue reading Respect? Why Scotland’s resident doctors delayed their ballot until after the deadly flu season’s predicted peak
Police Scotland ‘have no intelligence to suggest threat’ and research says the same but STV try to make terror leap ten thousand miles into your town
Professor John Robertson OBA STV yesterday have: Police Scotland is urging the public to “remain alert” following a Hanukkah terror attack on Bondi Beach in Australia. At least 12 people have died after a shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Sunday, which authorities have said was a terrorist attack against the Jewish community. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns confirmed in a press conference that one of the gunmen was dead, and another was in custody. Police said earlier on Sunday that the second shooter was in critical condition after being injured. A total of 29 people have been taken … Continue reading Police Scotland ‘have no intelligence to suggest threat’ and research says the same but STV try to make terror leap ten thousand miles into your town
As NHS Scotland hits treatment targets for a year, what is the cause of a ‘child mental health emergency?’
Professor John Robertson OBA I am, of course, not competent to evaluate the claims of the charity making them in the Herald above but I am, as are all of you, competent to ask why an apparent improvement in performance in the NHS services for them – CAMHS – now for a year, treating more than 90% of those children referred to it (7 500) in one quarter, within the 18 week target, 50% within only 3 weeks1, is now in a crisis mode when it was not in mid-2022 or in the years before? Where’s the expert, the ‘top … Continue reading As NHS Scotland hits treatment targets for a year, what is the cause of a ‘child mental health emergency?’
Why the wind doesn’t need to blow all the time – breakthrough in new technology to blow all Scottish Labour arguments for nuclear ‘out of the water’
EBARGOED UNTIL 15 Dec 2025 00:01 Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland, three days ago: In East Lothian, council leader Norman Hampshire has asked UK ministers to draw up a “characterisation” of the Torness power station site in the hope that it could still be considered for a replacement. The Labour councillor says the closure of Torness without a replacement would be devastating to the community in Dunbar and across Scotland. “There’s a lot of jobs… and all of that feeds into the local economy. So, if Torness isn’t there it’s going to be a huge blow and there’s … Continue reading Why the wind doesn’t need to blow all the time – breakthrough in new technology to blow all Scottish Labour arguments for nuclear ‘out of the water’
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 