FRI 12 AUGUST13:30 FOR THE MANY LIVE WITH DOUGLAS ROSS AND ANAS SARWAR Join LBC legend Iain Dale and his partner in crime, former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for one of five unique live versions of their smash-hit political podcast For The Many.Expect the usual cocktail of political analysis, unfiltered opinion and outrageous smut. Different guests will feature daily, and all will be open to audience questions. Today’s guests: Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross MSP and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar MSP.“Lots of political banter and questions answered with gossipy insight. Far more fun than you might expect!” Observer. https://www.eicc.co.uk/whats-on/for-the-many-live-with-douglas-ross-and-anas-sarwar/ Only those with a strong stomach should tune in. Commenting SNP … Continue reading The not-so odd couple?

By stewartb ‘Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP claims today that only 62% of Glasgow hospital patients were seen in 4 hours, in the first half of July’ – fortunate they were not attending A&E in Wales! Forget that last remark – it’s all too easy to get snarky nowadays when seeing what Labour politicians in Scotland spout without any sense of context or perspective! (I’ll be genuinely disappointed if Ms Duncan-Glancy becomes an adherent of the Jackie Baillie style of politics.) There is a SERIOUS problem with resourcing the present model of publicly funded health and social care across the UK. Arguably, … Continue reading Shock as even NHS Wales beats NHS England on emergency waiting times

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has an ‘observation paper’ ie no actual research, just opinion, arguing that the Scottish Government’s plans to standardise care across the country will only make things worse. They argue: Does anyone think that NHS health boards should be broken up and shared amongst local councils? Does anyone think that a national care system should spend extra in some areas and less in others, based on ‘discretion?’ I don’t know who funded this report but it suits the corporate care sector who make billions in the UK, who pay the lowest wages and who avoid tax … Continue reading Is freemarket ‘thinktank’ just a front for the corporate care home sector whose neglect allowed Covid to kill?

Thanks to stewartb for alerting me to this. Just released today from Public Health England: 57.0% of patients were seen within 4 hours in type 1 A&E departments compared to 58.8% in June 2022, 67.6% in July 2021 and 78.9% in July 2019. This is the lowest reported performance since the collection began. https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/ BBC UK and BBC Health have ignored this: None of the major UK newspapers have the story on the front page. We all know how the Scottish media would respond to this in Scotland: BBC Scotland 29 March: Scottish A&E waiting times worst on record again … Continue reading BBC UK ignores worst emergency performance since records began

Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP claims today that only 62% of Glasgow hospital patients were seen in 4 hours, in the first half of July. Why has she chosen to report today on the early July data and not those more recently? Because on week-ending 3 July, it was just 62%. Is her researcher just catching up? Remember, 1 week of data is not necessarily a trend, especially when the performance then improved over the next 4 weeks – 67.8, 70.1, 66.3, 68.3. So the real news is that the 62% was a statistically insignificant blip. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics/nhs-performs-weekly-update-of-emergency-department-activity-and-waiting-time-statistics-week-ending-31-july-2022/ So, if the above is … Continue reading Labour MSP deceives on Glasgow emergency waiting times which are far better than in Labour Wales

By Alasdair Galloway Today’s news is dominated by a forecast by Cornwelll Insight that the “price cap” to be announced come January will be £4200 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62475171), which is roughly twice what we were paying at the beginning of this year – 100% in 12 months. What I want to consider here are some of the consequences that might follow, for the media has been excessively slow in considering this. The most obvious implication is that the price of energy has increased and will increase some more in the near future. Obviously, this is going to blow a hole in a … Continue reading The Dark Night Part 2

In a BBC UK report today, we read: Swimmers across the UK have lost access to more than 60 public pools in the last three years, BBC News has found. Freedom of Information requests to UK councils revealed 65 pools had closed, either temporarily or permanently, in the three years to March 2022. Ukactive said a lack of staff, rising energy costs and chemical shortages had created a “perfect storm” for centres. Greg Whyte, a board member at the organisation, said the closures were an “absolute health and welfare disaster”. The body’s chief executive, Huw Edwards, said there were other … Continue reading Scots have more than twice the access to public swimming pools

From SNP Media in the last few minutes, Joanna Cherry: “The British Government wants the Supreme Court to throw the case out without even hearing the substantive arguments. Their written argument exposes the fact they no longer believe the UK is a voluntary union of nations, instead, they want to impose Westminster control by denying democracy and dismissing the democratic right of the people of Scotland to determine our own future. “Scotland voted to hold an independence referendum, and the Scottish Government has a mandate to deliver that manifesto commitment – with the backing of the Scottish Parliament. A clear … Continue reading UK Government wants Supreme Court to throw case out without even hearing the arguments

From BBC Health today: All children aged one to nine and living in Greater London will be offered a polio vaccine after the virus was detected in sewage. The virus, which can cause paralysis, has been found 116 times in London’s wastewater since February. The urgent immunisation campaign will see nearly a million children offered the vaccine – including those already up to date with their jabs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62492784 Polio in Scotland was wiped out in the UK by 2003 and, I feel sure, many years before that in Scotland. The above news reminds us that border checks between Scotland and … Continue reading Why a harder border has its benefits

‘UK ministers will argue in court..’ When? More than a month from now on 11 and 12 October. Just another quiet day when BBC Scotland can headline, unwarranted, doubts over the elected Scottish Parliament’s right to hold a referendum. ‘Bin workers to strike?’ When? Maybe never or in 2 to 3 weeks, on 24 to 31 August, unless they accept the offer resulting from the Scottish government’s extra £140 million to local authorities. Extra funds? Where? At the bottom of the BBC Scotland report. This is not the news. This is propaganda based on negative assumptions aimed at keeping the … Continue reading If there’s no bad news about Scotland today…predict some