Though on the lookout for drug death figures, the media silence on good news in this area led me to miss a report on 14 March. The key points are: During 2022, there were 1,092 suspected drug deaths, 16% (203) fewer than during the same period of 2021 (1,295); a majority (66%) of suspected drug deaths were of people aged between 35 and 54. This is broadly in line with previous periods; there were 55 suspected drug deaths in the under 25 age group, 19% (13) fewer than between January and December 2021. https://www.gov.scot/publications/suspected-drug-deaths-scotland-october-december-2022/pages/3/ From the data tables, I can … Continue reading Suspected drug deaths fall again and by nearly a quarter in only two years

In 2015, the Commonwealth Foundation reported on GP satisfaction and stress, comparing the UK with other countries in the developed world. I requested a breakdown of the UK data and that revealed a far more positive picture in Scotland: https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2017/11/14/already-the-best-staffed-and-least-stressed-in-the-uk-scottish-gps-to-get-better-contracts/ Today, 8 years later, the Commonwealth Foundation researchers have published a report which already has some breakdown of the UK data to reveal variations very favourable to Scotland. The Guardian is, typically, reporting it as a UK story UK GPs have the highest stress levels, finds survey of 10 countries’ doctors and the other MSM do not seem to have … Continue reading Scots GPs more satisfied with their jobs than those in France, Germany, Canada or UK

BBC Scotland and the rest of ‘our’ media have an ongoing obsession with supposed spikes in new-born baby deaths. Three times in the last year, they have announced probes into these. Nothing has come of any of them. Stillbirth and infant death figures are stark evidence of the quality of governance and associated public services in any country. Our media have not shown any interest in putting Scotland’s record into the kind of context they have loved with drug deaths, but for which the data are easily accessed. From the above, you can see that Scotland had 3.5 stillbirths and … Continue reading Scotland’s stillbirths and infant death among lowest in Europe, to disappoint ‘our’ media

stewartb There is a growing list of examples of Westminster’s influences and actions on energy and ‘net zero’ issues that are not in Scotland’s best interests and certainly not within Scotland’s democratic control! This first example is of course more than a little ironic! On 20 October 2021, there were press reports of Sir Ian Wood commenting on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS): ‘Acorn Project: Sir Ian Wood urges UK to rethink carbon capture snub’. This is the context of the Acorn Project to be based at the St Fergus gas terminal in Aberdeenshire. However, sites on the Humber … Continue reading A growing list of examples of Westminster’s actions on energy not in Scotland’s best interests

BBC Scotland is headlining a story on asthma-related admissions in different parts of the UK with, of course, a tragic case upfront, and parts of Scotland picked out as among the worst but, surely, the survival rate is the news here. In Scotland, from 2008 to 2021, deaths due to asthma have fallen from 103 to 96, a 6.7% fall. https://www.scotpho.org.uk/health-wellbeing-and-disease/asthma/data/mortality-data Deaths from asthma in England and Wales have increased by a third in the past decade, a new analysis has shown. The analysis of official figures from the Office for National Statistics, released by the charity Asthma UK on … Continue reading Why have deaths due to asthma fallen in Scotland while increasing in England & Wales?

James Cook has had to work hard to hide the real story here. Only three paras down: Scottish ministers approved the 1.5GW pumped storage facility in 2020. But power giant SSE wants assurances from the UK government before finally signing it off. A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it was “committed to supporting the low carbon hydro sector, including hydro storage”. Then, further down, this: But both Drax and SSE have been reluctant to press ahead without assurances from Whitehall. “SSE needs clarity around how the UK government is going to support projects like … Continue reading UK Government delaying biggest ever Hydro scheme approved by SNP three years ago but James Cook is not saying why

What has he written? You expect me to read it? I’ve done enough of that before. The headline is quite enough. Why is Mackay getting the above award? For full text: https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/?s=Mackay Continue reading Herald’s Mackay wins ‘The Pot Calling the Kettle Black’ award, again

stewartb This headline is on the BBC News website today (20 March): ‘‘Stagnating wages cost UK workers £11,000 a year, says Resolution Foundation’ It took me back to 2014 when HM Treasury was peddling nonsensical economic forecasts on behalf of the scaremongering NO/UKOK campaign before Scotland’s independence referendum. You may recall that news reports made much of this particular claim: ‘Scottish people will be £1,400 a year better off if the country remains in the UK, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said.’ ‘Introducing the report this morning, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said his fellow Scots … Continue reading ‘‘Stagnating wages cost UK workers £11,000 a year, says Resolution Foundation”

There are consistent tendencies amongst the pollsters with Survation and Savanta tending to get lower results for SNP support and YouGov coming in higher. The most recent YouGov poll has the SNP lead at 17%, up from 11% and 14% in their previous two and almost back to their January poll lead of 18% Wait, isn’t the SNP in deep doo doo? The Daily Express says so. And all of the others too! Might most SNP supporters be ignoring all of it? Continue reading YouGov poll: SNP lead highest since January!

NHS Wales is in the middle of a dentistry crisis. From the Rhyl, Prestatyn and Abergele Journal, on 15 March 2023 THE MS for Clwyd West, Darren Millar has challenged the First Minister, Mark Drakeford, on the action Welsh Government is taking to improve access to NHS dentistry in Conwy and Denbighshire. In yesterday (March 14)’s Senedd meeting, Mr Millar highlighted the problems his constituents are experiencing in accessing dental services. He told the First Minister that some are even travelling to Scotland to receive the dental treatment they need. Mr Millar said: “16 years ago, when I first became … Continue reading Labour Government in Wales asks Sarwar for help…..pulling teeth