Tag: covid-19

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NINE ways Scotland handled the Covid-19 pandemic better than the rest of the UK

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The Guardian today, with no reference to Scotland of course, has: The NHS “teetered on the brink of collapse” during the Covid pandemic and only managed to survive thanks to the “superhuman” efforts of healthcare workers, an official inquiry has concluded. In a damning assessment of how the UK’s healthcare systems dealt with the unprecedented pressure of the pandemic, the Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, said the impact of the virus was “devastating” due to the NHS being in a “parlous state” before the outbreak. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/19/superhuman-healthcare-workers-saved-nhs-from-collapse-covid-inquiry-concludes Is this true of Scotland’s experience? ‘Scotland’s’ media and opposition parties want it to be so it is, … Continue reading NINE ways Scotland handled the Covid-19 pandemic better than the rest of the UK

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As Covid Inquiry reconvenes today, a reminder of just how FM, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Scottish Government kept excess mortality here at one third lower than the UK average, saving thousands, despite the delay in devolving responsibility and PM Johnson’s callous inertia – saving thousands of lives

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I’m grateful to @amaccj for reminding me of this and for the link to the source. When the final assessment is made, we need to set the scene with these facts: The World Health Organisation had pressed the panic button warning national governments to act on the 30th of January 2020.1 Throughout February and March PM Johnson missed 5 Cobra meetings which discussed the need for a response.2 Pandemic response was still a reserved matter to the UK Government. In the first week of March, FM Sturgeon called for an immediate lockdown but PM Johnson refused in the interests of business.3 PM Johnson … Continue reading As Covid Inquiry reconvenes today, a reminder of just how FM, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Scottish Government kept excess mortality here at one third lower than the UK average, saving thousands, despite the delay in devolving responsibility and PM Johnson’s callous inertia – saving thousands of lives

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Shamefully, even now, BBC Scotland still conceal how Jeanne Freeman’s, unique in the UK, quick action on vaccines saved thousands of lives in Scottish care homes

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In BBC Scotland’s retrospective comment on Jeanne Freeman’s time as Health Secretary, they write: Freeman stood beside Sturgeon in press conferences throughout the next year. There would be praise for their calm stewardship and she was there at the start of the vaccine roll-out. But the decision to discharge elderly hospital patients to care homes during the first few weeks of the pandemic without a requirement for a negative test was one which hung over Freeman for the rest of her time in politics and beyond. The worst mortality rates were … Continue reading Shamefully, even now, BBC Scotland still conceal how Jeanne Freeman’s, unique in the UK, quick action on vaccines saved thousands of lives in Scottish care homes

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Glasgow hospital infection inquiry – How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it reducing the level to an eighth of the level in England and a third of the level in Europe.

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In the midst of the frenzy of ill-informed reporting on the Glasgow hospital infections inquiry, important facts you’ll never hear. From the Journal of Hospital Infections in November 2012: The prevalence of HAI was 4.9%, 2.5%, 6.1% and 1.2% in acute, non-acute, paediatric and independent hospitals respectively [in Scotland in 2006].  https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(12)00277-0/abstract From the Scottish Public Health Observatory, in 2024: The most recent comprehensive data on hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Scotland comes from a 2021 study led by Glasgow Caledonian University, commissioned by the Scottish Government. This study, published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, found that approximately 1% of hospital patients … Continue reading Glasgow hospital infection inquiry – How under Scottish Labour, hospitals were ‘death traps’ of hospital acquired infections and how Nicola Sturgeon sorted it reducing the level to an eighth of the level in England and a third of the level in Europe.

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BBC Scotland deliberately misleads on hospital-acquired infections – there was no ‘fatal infection’ nor did ‘infection lead to death’

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BBC Scotland returns once more to the tragic death of a child cancer patient. This case has run for nine years now, during which Anas Sarwar has cynically appeared with the parents, platformed widely by MSM, to support their understandable need to explain the worst thing that can happen to parents. In one televised election debate, Anas even shouted ‘What about Millie!?’ at Nicola Sturgeon. That led to a vomiting attack nationally. The man has no shame. Misleading the general public has been regular and frequent. The headline above is simply wrong. The infection was not fatal in itself but … Continue reading BBC Scotland deliberately misleads on hospital-acquired infections – there was no ‘fatal infection’ nor did ‘infection lead to death’

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Flu cases decline steeply in Scotland more than two weeks ahead of England after Swinney had launched vaccine programme more than two weeks earlier

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland on 24 December 2025: The number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Scotland has dropped by more than a third, new figures show. Public Health Scotland (PHS) data, external shows there were 1,297 confirmed cases in the week to 21 December – down from 1,994 in the previous week. Provisional figures also suggest there were 679 flu-related hospital admissions across the country, down from 950 in the previous week. PHS said the latest figures were encouraging but warned there could be more than one wave of flu in a season and urged people to take steps … Continue reading Flu cases decline steeply in Scotland more than two weeks ahead of England after Swinney had launched vaccine programme more than two weeks earlier

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Scottish Government’s earlier flu vaccine launch and wider free issue has resulted in 20% fewer cases as they continue to climb in NHS England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Viral respiratory diseases in Scotland surveillance report published today: Influenza activity in Scotland has steadied or decreased in many systems, returning to medium activity overall based on reporting of laboratory-confirmed cases. Cases decreased by 20% to 1918 from 2410, and activity level dropped to high (from very high) in the 1-4 and 5-14 age groups. There were 912 hospital admissions due to influenza in week 50, down from 1039 in week 49.1 In NHS England: NHS England has released its latest figures now, covering last week up to 14 December. It says hospitals in England … Continue reading Scottish Government’s earlier flu vaccine launch and wider free issue has resulted in 20% fewer cases as they continue to climb in NHS England

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Four times as many flu hospital admissions in NHS Scotland yet no risk of collapse here because of…more beds, more staff, cleaner wards and better vaccine strategy

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Guardian yesterday the above dramatic headline and: Wes Streeting has told resident doctors that strikes and a jump in flu cases over the Christmas period could be “the Jenga piece” that forces the NHS to collapse. The health secretary said the NHS faced a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic” and urged resident doctors to accept the government’s offer and end their action. He said: “The whole NHS team is working around the clock to keep the show on the road. But it’s an incredibly precarious situation. Christmas strikes could be the Jenga … Continue reading Four times as many flu hospital admissions in NHS Scotland yet no risk of collapse here because of…more beds, more staff, cleaner wards and better vaccine strategy

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Contrary to Jackie Baillie’s claims ‘SNP’ HAS been ‘ready for winter’ as flu-related hospital emissions begin to plateau and are contained within resources while NHS England’s still surge toward ‘worst case scenario’ in their less resilient system

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From NHS England yesterday: Flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in just one week, plunging the NHS into a “worst case scenario” situation for December, new figures reveal today.  An average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week – the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% up on last week.1 From Public Health Scotland, also yesterday: Influenza activity in Scotland increased at a more moderate pace in week 49, although the high activity threshold has now been reached, earlier than previous seasons. Case numbers increased by 24% … Continue reading Contrary to Jackie Baillie’s claims ‘SNP’ HAS been ‘ready for winter’ as flu-related hospital emissions begin to plateau and are contained within resources while NHS England’s still surge toward ‘worst case scenario’ in their less resilient system

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Sunday Mail makes dishonest use of an English hospitals-only survey to deceive Scots but NHS Scotland’s greater resilience is preventing a flu crisis here

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Professor John Robertson OBA Last week Jackie Baillie was trying to tell us ‘the SNP‘ was not preparing for winter infections despite evidence that Scotland leads the rest of the UK on winter preparations with more flu vaccines delivered, more GPs, more nurses and more beds. For more, see: Yesterday, the Sunday Mail had the above based on a survey by the RCN but entirely in English hospitals – https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/Press-Releases/growing-number-of-flu-cases-threatens-to-overwhelm-an-nhs-and-workforce-already-in-crisis Flu in Scotland From Viral respiratory diseases in Scotland surveillance report published 27 November 2025 (Latest release): Influenza levels continued to rise in Scotland in week 47, with a sharp rise in laboratory-confirmed … Continue reading Sunday Mail makes dishonest use of an English hospitals-only survey to deceive Scots but NHS Scotland’s greater resilience is preventing a flu crisis here