From SNP Media: Scotland’s tale of two governments is starkly demonstrated today as new statistics show the Scottish Child Payment has helped more than 108,000 children across Scotland since its introduction in February. It comes as the Tory UK government prepares to cut Universal Credit by the end of September, potentially plunging 20,000 children in Scotland into poverty. The Scottish Child Payment was introduced by the Scottish Government in February this year and provides £10 a week for eligible families with children under 6. The payment is due to be expanded to children between 6-15 by the end of 2022. The Scottish Government … Continue reading Scottish Child Payment has helped more than 108,000 children

From SNP Media: A top UK climate expert has said he is ‘pleased’ with the progress Scotland is making on tackling climate change. Lord Deben, chair of the Climate Change Committee and former UK Environment Secretary told Holyrood’s Net Zero committee that Scotland’s approach has allowed him to ‘say to other parts of the United Kingdom why don’t they do it as well as the Scots?’ Scotland has passed world-leading climate change legislation as part of our aim to become a net zero country by 2045 – something hailed by the UN as “an inspiring example of the level of … Continue reading Top expert contradicts Thunberg to suggest ‘Scotland is a world leader on climate change’

There are longer waiting lists for treatment after a deadly pandemic. Imagine that. Is that really informative? Reporting Scotland have wheeled in Anas Sarwar’s in-laws, John Beattie’s neighbours, former Tory candidates, Lib Dem activists and folk with a huge Union flag in their back garden, as independent witnesses to ‘SNP failures’ of all sorts. Today, the above guy had his heart on his sleeve as they say. Well actually he had it all over: Glenn Campbell’s uncle? Union Jack pants and socks? Continue reading Reporting Scotland’s witnesses to ‘SNP failure’

From Public Health Scotland today: Since the establishment of the National Naloxone Programme in 2011/12:• 74,629 THN kits have been issued by services based in the community.• 8,793 THN kits have been issued by prisons in Scotland.• 10,388 THN kits have been dispensed by community pharmacies.• Overall, a total of 93,966 THN kits have been supplied by the National NaloxoneProgramme.• An estimated total of 32,930 people at risk of opioid overdose have been supplied with THNsince the start of the National Naloxone Programme.The National Naloxone Programme is an important harm reduction measure in Scotland’s effortsto reduce the numbers of drug-related … Continue reading Major increase in Scottish Government’s Take Home Naxolone kits programme saves 1 400 lives

NHS Scotland has been busting the 90% target for seeing IVF patients within the target time of 52 weeks for years now. In the three months ending 30 June 2021, 99.4% were seen within 39 weeks, up from 77.6% in the previous three months. This fantastic achievement is never reported despite the many wider benefits. What follows probably needs updating but makes the points: Reducing associated mental health complications Failing to treat infertility can result in problems and further costs for the NHS in other areas. A Danish study of 98 737 women, between 1973 and 2003, showed that women … Continue reading 99.4% of IVF patients screened within target time

From Public Health Scotland today: The percentage of patients who had been waiting over 13 weeks for a radiology test decreased from 8.1% at 31 March 2021 to 5.5% (4,423 patients, -1,430) at 30 June 2021. The percentage of patients who had been waiting over 52 weeks for an endoscopy decreased from 13.6% at 31 March 2021 to 10.2% (3,517 patients, -1,032) at 30 June 2021.  https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/nhs-waiting-times-diagnostics/diagnostic-waiting-times-waits-for-key-diagnostic-tests-31-august-2021 Continue reading Fewer waiting for diagnostic tests

There are a million stories out there and ‘the news‘ is made up of the ones editors choose to report, to help readers make sense of their world in the way they prefer. In Public Health Scotland’s report today on waiting times, there is ‘bad news‘ to be found and no doubt BBC Scotland, the Herald and the Scotsman will find it in ‘the public interest‘ as they see it, to be anxious, change averse. However, as the editor here I think it’s in the public interest and your mental well-being that I select these facts: During the quarter ending … Continue reading Far fewer patients waiting more than a year for treatment

In the wake of the SNP/Green agreement, BBC UK is keen to undermine the project by rephrasing the words of a teenage activist. The report does not of course consider the UK place low in the table of climate change achievers. We read: The activist she was aware of the controversy about the Cambo oil field west of Shetland. Yes but, did the BBC remind her that Scotland has no say in this? Is Greta aware of this? Alan Brown MP has slammed the UK government’s ignorance to decades of Westminster mismanagement on energy grid charges, which sees Scotland subject … Continue reading Scotland is a UK leader on climate change

A young activist isn’t content with anything. Of course. More can and should be done. But did she say the above? Nope. The Swedish activist told BBC Scotland she recognised that some countries “do a bit more than others” but that none were coming close to what was needed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58387017 I know, by definition that means the headline is strictly speaking accurate but it’s also constructed to make us, here, feel negative even though we may have things to feel optimistic about: SCOTLAND’S world-leading renewables sector has helped catapult the country into the top three European countries producing electricity from them, according … Continue reading Thunberg not a world leader on knowledge?

The Herald, once more fulfilling its public duty to scare folk off going to A&E and keep the death rate going: THE number of patients in hospital with Covid in Scotland is now the highest since March, amid warnings the NHS is “stretched”.  The latest daily data from the Scottish Government shows there are 551 patients in hospital who have recently tested positive for the virus, up 76 per cent in just 10 days from 312 on August 20.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19546769.covid-scotland-hospital-patient-numbers-highest-since-march/ Cases are higher than ever but, crucially, hospital admissions are not: Hospital admissions are still only a quarter of that at the … Continue reading Don’t be scared off