You’d think the bigger corporate-owned care homes would have invested in the safety of these lucrative customers but they didn’t. From the BBC based on a Care Inspectorate report in 2021: The rate of residents dying from Covid was higher in larger care homes than smaller ones, new data reveals. Care Inspectorate figures show there were 2.1 virus deaths per 100 places in care homes with up to 20 beds. This contrasts with 12.6 deaths per 100 places in facilities with more than 80 beds. https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/05/26/large-private-sector-care-homes-had-six-times-more-covid-deaths/ The privately-owned homes and in particular those owned by offshore corporations maintained maximum capacity, … Continue reading Deadly business model for rip-off care homes

By stewartb A factor for those in Scotland hesitant about voting for independence might be how well, or otherwise, smaller independent nation-states manage to protect their citizens at times of crisis. In this second part of an examination of the capacity, competences and resilience of the Nordic countries during a global pandemic, the focus is on public health measures and outcomes. A complementary objective is to provide international perspective to counter a prevailing narrative of the corporate media and the BBC in Scotland of UK/England ‘exceptionalism’. This is linked, explicitly or by implication, to the notion that wee Scotland as … Continue reading Resilient in global crises – the example of Nordic countries (Part 2)

By stewartb The First Minister launched the campaign to secure self-determination for Scotland by providing relevant, useful international perspective. If other countries not too different from Scotland can succeed as independent nation-states then why on earth not Scotland too? In this context, it is appropriate to draw attention to a recent (7 June) report published by the Nordic Council of Ministers. It examines how the economies of Denmark (population c.5.8m), Finland (c.5.5m), Iceland (c.345k), Norway (c.5.5m) and Sweden (c.10.2m) have coped with the Covid-19 pandemic. It details specific government interventions – in what were extremely challenging circumstances for all countries … Continue reading Resilient in global crises – the example of Nordic countries (Part 1)

In the Telegraph today, we read that the SNP Government has plans to redirect the money for a £400 energy rebate, to second home owners in Scotland, and toward those who need it most: Scottish Labour loves to accuse the SNP of not being left-wing, redistributive, enough in its policies but time and time again, the evidence is that they, beholden to UK Labour, sit to the right on a range of economic policies. In 2001, SNP MP Allan Dorans listed seven ways his party have tackled inequality. You can read the detail at the link below: What is Labour’s … Continue reading Scottish Labour humiliated as SNP act again to make Scotland more equal, more fair

In the Guardian today: A record number of abortions took place in England and Wales last year in a trend experts said was driven by financial uncertainty caused by Covid-19. There were 214,869 terminations during 2021, the highest number since the procedure became legal in Great Britain through the 1967 Abortion Act, the latest annual abortion statistics published on Tuesday show. Numbers have been going up every year since 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/21/record-number-of-abortions-in-england-and-wales-amid-financial-insecurity From Public Health Scotland in May 2022: The rate of terminations in Scotland in 2021 was 13.4 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 (13.5 in 2020). The number of terminations undertaken in … Continue reading Abortions in England and Wales surge to shocking 42% higher as SNP Government actions hold back poverty increases

Last night’s STV and Reporting Scotland coverage of the UK rail strike had much in common but notably, STV had two elements making theirs much more balanced. In interviewing passengers, STV repeated for us this sort of reaction: ‘hasn’t been so bad’ on using buses, ‘quite simple’ ‘not a big deal’ While Reporting Scotland preferred: ‘It’s mad’ ‘Not fair on customers’ More significant though was this stark contrast making the STV report far more balanced. While Reporting Scotland did briefly add: Scotrail staff are not directly involved STV had: There is growing frustration here in Scotland that we’ve been caught … Continue reading STV only report ‘growing frustration here in Scotland caught up’ in UK rail strike

Keen, as always to misrepresent statistics to suggest things are bad in the country they pretend to report the news on, BBC Scotland simplify to disturb. The graph below reveals a one-year increase in water deaths, especially in those parts of the UK, Wales and Scotland, where water-based activities attract visitors from across the UK to their colder and deeper waters. So, a one-year change which is not evidence of a newsworthy trend and the simple consequence of a surge in staycations triggered by the pandemic constraints on foreign travel. Not the news. Continue reading 2020 staycation surge led to one-year spike in accidental drownings

From stewartb The latest release of data on waiting times in Scotland’s main A&E departments is for week ending 12 June. In that week, 69.2% of patients were treated within the 4 hour waiting time target. Yes, strictly this was a poorer performance than the previous week – because then it was 69.6%!!! Who cares about statistical significance any more? Since February 2022 the performance against the 4 hour target has STABILISED – at between 69% and 71%. However, the number of ATTENDANCES HAVE BEEN ON A STEADY RISE from 18,946 in late December 2021 to 24,686 in late February … Continue reading Who cares about statistical significance any more?

In the Herald: HUMZA Yousaf has been accused of “gross negligence” after the number of patients waiting too long in Scotland’s A&E units rose again. The SNP Health Secretary was condemned after official figures showed more than 30 per cent of those attending casualty last week waited longer than the four hour target. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20224688.snp-health-secretary-humza-yousaf-accused-gross-negilgence-e-waits-worsen/ Who accused Humza? Sandesh Gulhane! Isn’t that an East Lothian beach? Anyhoo, Sandesh is a Tory so how is Tory England doing on A&E times? Here are the latest monthly data for all four NHS areas.(Only NHS Scotland does weekly reports). In March 2022: NHS Scotland 71.6% seen … Continue reading Tom Gordon accused of extreme prejudice and shoddy journalism

By stewartb The current rail disputes have revealed the two-faced nature of Toryism in Scotland. On the Scottish Conservative Party’s website one finds this dated 26 May 2022: ‘Stop Sturgeon’s ScotRail Cuts’. It relates to Scotrail’s response to the dispute with ASLEF. The Scottish Tories wanted Scottish Government intervention: ‘Instead of TAKING CONTROL of this dire situation, Nicola Sturgeon is HIDING BEHIND SCOTRAIL ..’ (my emphasis) Similar complaints were made by Tories in the Holyrood chamber on 8 June. First from Graham Simpson MSP: ‘I am encouraged to hear that there will be talks tomorrow. I know that THE MINISTER … Continue reading Rail disputes have revealed the two-faced nature of Toryism in Scotland