From BBC Scotland today: Deaths caused by alcohol rose by 17% last year to the highest level for more than a decade, new official figures show. The National Records of Scotland statistics show there were 1,190 alcohol-specific deaths registered in Scotland, 170 more than the previous year. This was the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths registered since 2008. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58243168 One year, especially a year like 2020, where many were cooped up in their homes for long periods, is not likely to provide evidence of trend. This is particularly true when the data contradict the longer trend: Although Scotland has shown the … Continue reading Lockdowns cause blip in alcohol death figures after significant fall under SNP

I feel sure we were being told by all and sundry that the Scottish Government’s lockdowns were causing widespread misery and prompting a surge in suicide rates. In January, the Times headlined ‘Coronavirus in Scotland: Rise in suspected suicides as second wave adds strain‘ before admitting they were using ‘anecdotal reports.‘ In March 2021, according to the Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health in the Pandemic study, ‘Suicidal thoughts soar among Scots struggling to cope in pandemic.‘ Yet once the data are in, we read: The number of suicides in Scotland decreased by 3% last year, according to official figures. The … Continue reading Lib Dems saddened and experts puzzled as suicide rate falls

From BBC Scotland: The number of people seen within four hours in A&E departments has fallen to the lowest level since at least February 2015, new figures show. NHS statistics for the week ending 8 August showed just 76.5% of people were dealt with within the target time. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58244986 NHS England data are not published until the end of the month. Not mentioned: In July 2021, NHS Scotland’s A&E departments saw on average 80% in 4 hours or less. https://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-8-august-2021/ In July 2021, NHS England’s A&E departments saw on average only 67.7% in 4 hours or less: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ The difference of … Continue reading NHS Scotland’s emergency services nearly 20% better than NHS England

In the above report from BBC Scotland, the data for our headline is there in the third line: Scotland’s unemployment rate has dropped slightly, according to the latest official figures covering April until June. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 4.3% of people over 16 in Scotland were out of work, down 0.1% on the previous quarter. The figure is less than the rate across the whole of UK, which was 4.7%. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58241453 These look like small numbers but they represent millions. 4.7% is 9.3% higher than 4.3%. There are 117 000 unemployed in Scotland. If they lived in … Continue reading Unemployment in UK now nearly 10% higher than in Scotland

How the Record and, largely, how every media outlet across the UK and beyond, presented Scotland’s drug death figures. No explanation, ever, of factors explaining them and making the connection, known to real experts, to 1980s Tory policies destroying working-class communities in Scotland. The coverage, shameful. And the coverage of this? Crime rate per 1,000 population in the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2020 by country │Statista By their logic, Nicola must take the credit. She has been First Minister since 2015. In England & Wales, there were 102.8 crimes per 1 000 people in 2019/2020 after a steady rise … Continue reading Scotland’s crime numbers fall again as they have every year since Nicola Sturgeon took office

I’m puzzled. Why is today’s most read post, one from 7 days ago? 2. Why did only 76 out of 5 577 twitter followers bother with the above poll? Anyhow, good to see that still after 7 years, we’re getting new readers. 3. Why again did so few respond? Why do 38% care about digital passports? I’m a bit of a stick in the mud, I guess. Continue reading Various

I offer this update, not to gloat, but to compensate for Scotland’s media reluctance to inform the public, lest they think that they, their NHS and their government are handling the pandemic better than other parts of the UK, or Rumpuk, as it is increasingly known, in my circles. The infection rate continues to be twice as high in England and three times as high in Northern Ireland. Try asking those of your neighbours or relatives who do not read this blog, MSM Monitor or a few other social media sites offering accuracy, which nation has the highest rate. Many … Continue reading Covid Update: Scotland pulling away on all measures

Scotland’s opposition parties and attendant medias have been feasting on this opportunity to undermine that SNP Scottish Government just as they did with stories of minimum alcohol pricing not working, baby boxes bursting into flames, widespread anxiety over the definition of a restaurant and stressed out pupils. Have they considered any evidence that caution is required before you launch a digital certificate? This kind of evidence: The drawback to certificates is that if anything goes wrong, the potential fallout can be disastrous. Criminals can create fraudulent websites that appear to be yours, they can create malware that purports to be … Continue reading Is Scotland being sensible in delaying digital vaccine certificates?

The Sunday Post today peddles the same inaccurate scare story based on the testimony of one family which, it seems, contains no experts on the subject and uses that to accuse the SNP Scottish Government of failing to make our tower blocks safe in the wake of the Grenfell disaster. As before, they ignore the clear facts indicating that a Grenfell cannot happen here because of our more strict building regulations but also ignoring the evidence from a fire only two weeks before which was contained within one floor and had no casualties: According to BBC Scotland earlier two weeks … Continue reading For the umpteenth time, a Grenfell towering inferno will not happen here

In the Herald today: THERE is no evidence that safer drug consumption rooms work, nor are they a “silver bullet” to fix Scotland’s drugs deaths problem, according to a senior adviser to the UK government. Dame Carol Black, who was commissioned by the former Home Secretary Sajid Javid to conduct an independent review into drug misuse, said the row over consumption rooms could potentially act as a distraction from tackling the issue. https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19512674.no-evidence-support-safe-consumption-rooms-uk-government-drugs-adviser-warns/ Really? What about this? The largest review ever undertaken, of 349 research studies, from across the globe though mostly in Europe, carried out by the Centre for Criminology … Continue reading No evidence!? Only 349 studies saying they work?