By cuckooshoe Just heard a report on ITV News statistics for drug related deaths in England and Wales. On the BBC website I found an article on the figures for Wales. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62393799 “There has been a sharp increase in the rate of deaths from drug misuse in Wales, according to new figures. There were 210 deaths recorded in 2021, compared with 149 in 2020 – an increase of 41% – Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed. The figure was also the highest since records began in 1993, with the previous record being 208 in 2018.” At the time of … Continue reading As they begin to fall in Scotland, drugs deaths reach record high in England and Wales

According to the Herald and headlined today: The number of planned operations being carried out in Scotland remains more than a quarter below pre-pandemic levels and is down compared to a year ago, amid delays to new elective hubs. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/20596338.nhs-recovery-fewer-operations-2022-year-ago/ Really? See this from Public Health Scotland, 4 days ago: Planned operations do remain down on pre-pandemic levels but are not down on one year ago. Notably operations cancelled due to lack of resources (dark grey line) are back at the pre-pandemic, an impressively low 2 to 3%. Continue reading Herald misleading public on NHS for cheap scare story

From the above report by Ipsos Scotland: Scottish Child Payment (SCP) was introduced by the Scottish Government tosupport families on low incomes and contribute to its goal of eradicating childpoverty in Scotland. The first payments were made in February 2021, initially tofamilies on qualifying benefits with children under six, although the ScottishGovernment has stated its intention to extend the scheme to cover children under16 years of age. At the time this research was conducted, parents and carers inreceipt of SCP were paid £40 direct to their bank account every four weeks,although the value was set to double to, £80 every … Continue reading Ipsos MORI survey finds Scottish Child Benefit has had major benefits

From Public Health Scotland today: In June 2022, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,678. This is a decrease of 2% compared to May 2022 when the daily average was 1,707. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-june-2022#section-2 There was a 5% drop in delays in May 2022. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly/delayed-discharges-in-nhsscotland-monthly-figures-for-may-2022/#section-2 Continue reading Delayed discharges fall for second month in a row

In June 2022, 71.3% of attendances at Scottish A&E services were seen and resulted in a subsequent admission, transfer or discharge within 4 hours. In the same month, in England, only 58.8% were seen in 4 hours. Scotland’s A&E departments were thus, 21.2% more effective (12.5% of 58.8). Glasgow hospitals in the constituency of the First Minister were slightly faster than the Scottish average, at 72.4% in 4 hours. The figure for local Norfolk hospitals, in the constituency of Liz Truss, was a shocking, ‘third world’ level of only 43.1% in 4 hours. The First Minister’s local hospitals were thus … Continue reading Sturgeon’s Glasgow emergency departments are a shocking 68% faster than those in the Norfolk constituency of Liz Truss

Scotland’s MSM seem not to have spotted this striking evidence of success. The BBC presenters, including a Scot, have had nothing to say about something obvious here, as the stand below a giant screen showing the above. With 10 times the population, England have won only just over twice (54) as many medals as Scotland (23) and so, per head of population, are 5 times better. I suppose they’re too busy repeating how bad we are at preventing drug deaths compared to England, to notice this. Continue reading Scots athletes 5 times more successful than England at Commonwealth Games

I’m grateful to TuS reader John Jamieson for alerting me to this. I do loving patronising the thicker Scottish Labour and Tory representatives we see so often faithfully reported in ‘our’ MSM. The above table is used in ‘Scrap the cap‘, today from Reform Scotland, the right-wing think tank headed up by Lord McConnell and former Tory researcher and BBC TV ‘mum’, Alison Payne. McConnell used to be a maths teacher in Alloa. Payne used to be a girl guide leader, They have, with all the intelligence of a typical Labour MSP, leapt on that 83.7% in the bottom right-hand … Continue reading The Labour Lord, the Tory mum and their arithmetically challenged ‘think’ tank

By stewartb The UK government’s Department for Education has been consulting on the re-introduction of STUDENT NUMBER CONTROLS (SNCs) for universities in England. It points to perverse incentives for institutions offering poorer/less impactful courses, with relatively low entry requirements, to more and more students whilst charging similar fees. See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057091/HE_reform_command-paper-web_version.pdf I’ve yet to read the Reform Scotland report. I trust it acknowledges key differences in the HE systems in Scotland and England – very long tail of ‘low tariff’ (easier to enter) institutions in England, none of these in Scotland according to UCAS; importance of HE provision delivered by colleges in … Continue reading Higher Education: Yet another ‘borrowing’ power not available to Scotland

The Herald’s David Balls, today, presents Reform Scotland as a ‘leading think tank.’ They’re not. They’re right-wing and not that thoughtful. I’ve done them before. Here again: Reform Scotland, like most right-wing, unionist, so-called think tanks is keen to project itself as somehow independent or non-partisan. Any social science student will tell you there’s no such thing but Reform Scotland is an easier target than that. It’s director is Chris Deerin, a New Statesman writer, Blairite and regular critic of anything the SNP does. Just Google his name and SNP and you’ll see just how non-partisan he isn’t. Its research director is … Continue reading Labour Lord and Tory ‘mum’ behind call for end to free tuition on Kaye Adams today again as just a ‘mum’