Image: https://www.paindata.org/ From NHS Scotland today: In the quarter ending 31 March 2021, 2,344 patients were seen at a chronic pain clinic. This compares to 2,108 patients in the quarter ending 31 December 2020, an increase of 11.2%. Of the 2,340 patients waiting at 31 March 2021, 1,661 (71.0%), had been waiting 12 weeks or less to be seen, 272 (11.7%) more than 12 but less than 24 weeks, 242 patients (10.3%) more than 24 but less than 51 weeks and 165 patients (7.1%) 52 weeks or more. https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/healthcare-resources/waiting-times/chronic-pain-waiting-times/ Continue reading Big increase in treatment of chronic pain

The rUK average is 731 doses per day while Scotland is doing 895 without the ‘British Army’, 23% ahead. Scotland has been ahead now for a whole week but our media is predictably unmoved. They liked it better when we could be described as ‘lagging behind.’ As Leonard Cohen once ‘sang’: Ah, you loved me as a loser, but now you’re worried that I just might win. Continue reading Scotland vaccinating massive 23% more than rest of UK BEFORE ‘British Army’ arrives to add 1%

Image: Drewa1983 From SNP Media: SNP MSP Jim Fairlie will lead a Members’ Business Debate today (Tuesday) on the threat a tariff-free trade deal with countries like Australia will pose to Scotland’s farmers and agriculture sector. The Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP will tell the Scottish Parliament that a trade deal that allows tariff-free access for lamb, beef and pork into the UK presents hugely-damaging consequences to farmers and crofters in Scotland. The Tory UK government has already faced stern criticism of its proposed deal with Australia, with both the UK and Scottish Presidents of the NFU describing the prospect of tariff-free … Continue reading ‘Agricultural wasteland for Scotland’

Nigerian artist Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy works on a portrait of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Reuters From stewartb: As The Commonwealth no longer recognises Scotland as a ‘country’, who’s pulling the strings? Over the past week or so there have been significant moves in the constitutional wrangle over Scotland’s future. Notwithstanding the oft repeated Unionist charge that any actions on such matters at this time of pandemic are reprehensible, these moves have all come from one quarter, the Unionist establishment.  We learn of the royal family becoming active in ‘saving the Union’, thanks to an article in The Sunday Times. This is necessary, … Continue reading And so it begins!

According to the Herald, ‘The Army‘ is being drafted in to help with Scotland’s vaccination roll-out this week. More than 60 members of the armed forces will be deployed to NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire as part of ‘Operation Rescript’ for up to five weeks. More than 60? 5 weeks? Wow! We only have 5 500 of our own full-time vaccinators so that will make a big difference. The Scottish Army was not available for comment. Rescript? ‘A written answer, as of a Roman emperor or a pope, to a query or petition in writing.’ So the Scottish Government petitions … Continue reading Scots expected to line streets with Union Flags to welcome ‘British Army’ arrival in Scotland

Image: flickr.com From SNP Media: The SNP has said independence is needed to “keep Scotland safe” from the lasting damage of Tory rule – as midterm polls suggest the UK faces two decades of Tory governments that Scotland has consistently rejected. With new analysis showing no change in midterm polling since the Tories won a 157 seat majority in England at the 2019 general election, Ian Blackford said the UK was stuck in a “Tory political ice age” with no realistic prospect of change ahead of the next general election. The SNP Westminster Leader said Scotland is “increasingly vulnerable under Westminster control” … Continue reading Scotland stuck in UK stuck in Tory political ice age

Image: ross-shirejournal From SNP Media: Businesses in Scotland are set to save thousands compared to their English counterparts this year due to the 100% business rates relief that firms in Scotland will benefit from. Independent research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has shown that businesses in Scotland saved £31,840 on average in financial year 2020/21 and are set for similar savings this year as the Scottish Government has extended 100% rates relief for the entire year. Businesses in England are set to pay on average £7,075 as the UK Government has only extended 100% rates relief for 3 … Continue reading Businesses in Scotland set to save thousands compared to English counterparts

Not exactly capturing the good news with their headline and keeping the story off the headline for a few jags, BBC Scotland does inform us: Scotland’s appeal to foreign investors bucked the sharp downward trend during the Covid crisis last year, according to an annual survey by accountancy and consultancy firm EY. The number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects that came to Scotland last year was up from 101 to 107. That 6% rise compared with a 12% drop for the UK as a whole, to 975 projects. Much of that was from the reduction in digital technology going … Continue reading Indyref2 not a discouragement to foreign investors as Scotland surges 18% ahead of UK

Headlining all over BBC Scotland but not in BBC UK, Wales or Northern Ireland, today: In Scotland, 63 personnel will be split across NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire with vaccinators, health professionals and command-and-control managers providing support. 63 and not all actually jagging? There were 5 500 vaccinators in Scotland in January 2021 so those 60 or less army vaccinators make up? 1.09%, that’ll make all the difference! Let me know if you spot one of these rare birds. Continue reading Army to add only 1% to vaccination rollout and only on BBC Scotland

stewartb In early April 2020 I did some online research into which institutions in the UK referred to Scotland as a ‘nation’ or as a ‘country’: I kept notes on what I found, with links to sources. I was prompted to do this after seeing many social media contributions from Unionists denying that the UK was other than one, unified state. One of the sources I used at the time was the website of The Commonwealth. I used this:  https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/united-kingdom At that time, in April 2020 it stated explicitly that the UK is a union of four countries: England, Scotland, … Continue reading Stop referring to Scotland and Wales as “countries”