With deliberate deception, the Herald tries to fuel the opposition parties’ pile-on regarding the school s assessment system, the SQA and the new Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, describing it as: SQA appeals: Education Secretary at centre of growing storm There is of course no evidence of a growing storm beyond the media construction based on the words of opposition politicians and a very small group, unrepresentative, a handful, 1 or 2, teachers, parents or kids prepared to speak to the BBC cameras. The Herald article opens with: Scotland’s Education Secretary is at the centre of a growing storm over national qualifications after … Continue reading Teachers call for opposition parties and media to stop undermining ‘valid’ and ‘low-stake’ SQA assessment system

From David Patrick: I was left incredulous by Murdo Fraser’s article in Wednesday’s paper (Prospect of SNP-Green deal makes a strong case for Holyrood voting reform, 2nd June). Is this the same Murdo Fraser whose Conservative party formed a coalition with the DUP in Westminster in 2017, giving a majority of four on a combined 43% of the vote? Or the same Murdo Fraser whose party currently holds a majority of 80 in Westminster – 57% of the seats! – on 43.6% of the vote? If Mr Fraser genuinely supports voting reform, he should be appalled at democratic outrages such … Continue reading Does Murdo ‘Serial Loser’ Fraser believe in democracy at all?

Oooh! Excitingg!! The Herald exposes incompetence and abuse of patients, Humza must go!” But, wait, click on the story and: I tried searching above and scoured the online pages but no sign: Wait, here it is? Click! Nope that one has gone too. I wonder, what research are they using? Anyhow, as very very sick patients flooded into hospitals with a new deadly virus for which there were no established methods of treatment, medics used intelligent guesses to try what they thought might help before it was too late? In the process they saved many lives but some things didn’t … Continue reading Where did these scare stories go? Turn out to be wholly inaccurate? Humza must not go?

The Scots experts at St Andrews University in Fife seem not to have spared any thoughts for the local effects in, say, nearby Crail or Methil. So, from our Environment Correspondent, Dr Ian Flood in 2020 In the Observer, SIX prominent flooding academics lined up to blame the Tory Government for its lack of action and to warn of far worse to come. Meanwhile BBC Scotland did find one woman who had to be rescued from her car but then returned to her disappointingly dry house and preferred to headline the supposed challenge to ‘Sturgeon’s’ leadership. Sources tell us that Professor … Continue reading Scotland rules the waves?

In my moderate drinking days, I remember bar staff were often students. One or two were in medicine but I don’t remember any who talked of epidemiology or infection control. The owners never talked of their own academic achievements and sometimes teased me about wasting my life reading stuff. Yet, most days, our media can find one who knows more about epidemiology, pandemic control, than those with qualifications or experience in the field. Often condemned by those beacons of the intellect in the opposition parties and the media as just ‘Nicola’s new pal’, Professsor Devi Sridhar has a ‘not bad … Continue reading Survey of pub-owners finds NONE gave up career as epidemiologists

Even yesterday, Tories and allied media were still talking of Scotland’s ‘no better’ performance in pandemic control. What could more clearly highlight the differences as the Express trumpets the UK’s first day without a Covid death. I was surprised. Not even in the summer of 2020? Not before now, in May? In Scotland, between June 30th and September 17th, there were 42 days with zero deaths and between May 1st and yesterday, there have been 24 such blessed days. Might the Scottish Government have done better than the UK Government? Continue reading 66 days with zero deaths: How Scotland DID diverge and often

Five years of abject failure to even come close to a target and NHS England decides just to stop measuring. That’ll do it. I wonder, where did they get that idea from? Has Boris ever reflected on his suggestion last year that Scotland’s health services were compromised? Will Reporting Scotland continue to ignore NHS Scotland’s success? Continue reading NHS England learns how to cope with failure from Boris

From NHS Scotland: For the quarter ending March 2021: 18,030 people started psychological therapies treatment in NHS Boards and NHS 24. This is an increase of 5.9% (1,007) from the previous quarter, and a decrease of 1.3% (238) from the same quarter the previous year.  Half of the people started their treatment within 3 weeks. Four out of five (80.4%) people started their treatment within 18 weeks, compared to 80.0% for the previous quarter, and 77.6% for the quarter ending March 2020. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of people should start their treatment within 18 weeks of referral … Continue reading Mental health waiting times improving despite return to pre-pandemic demand level

From NHS Scotland today: In April 2021, the average number of beds occupied per day due to delayed discharges was 1,087. This is similar to March 2021 when the daily average was 1,092, and lower than the monthly average prior to COVID-19 measures being put in place. Admissions have increased from 1 535 in January 2021 to 2 602 in April 2021: https://data.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/detail.html#:~:text=Emergency%20admissions%20have%20since%20increased,week%20ending%2025%20April%202021.&text=They%20have%20since%20increased%20to,is%20having%20across%20the%20NHS. Continue reading Bed blocking maintained at low level despite admissions returning to normal level

From NHS Scotland today: Of all planned operations during April 2021, 518 (2.8%) were cancelled by the hospital based on clinical reasons, 252 (1.4%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons, 319 (1.7%) were cancelled by the patient and 52 (0.3%) were cancelled due to other reasons. After inevitable increases, to cope with increasing covid hospitalisations during the first wave of infections in February March 2020 and in October to December 2020, the number of planned operations cancelled due to ‘no beds available’, ‘staff not available’, ‘equipment not available’ and ‘theatre session overran’ has fallen for … Continue reading Very few operations now cancelled due to capacity despite increases in surgery