Tag: covid-19

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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

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Despite flu surge NHS Scotland’s greater resilience is preventing hospitals being overwhelmed

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Professor John Robertson OBA 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 cases (from 555 to 805) and hospital admissions (279 to 391), and higher test positivity (from 11.0% to 15.8%). All age groups are now affected at levels not previously seen this time of year.  https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/viral-respiratory-diseases-in-scotland-surveillance-report/viral-respiratory-diseases-in-scotland-surveillance-report-27-november-2025/ How are hospitals coping in Scotland and across the UK? However, while admissions are elevated and systems are under strain, widespread declarations of “overwhelming” (e.g., critical incidents) are more prominent in England … Continue reading Despite flu surge NHS Scotland’s greater resilience is preventing hospitals being overwhelmed

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Jackie Baillie apparently blowing a big bubble of lies as Scotland leads the rest of the UK on winter preparations with more flu vaccines delivered, more GPs, more nurses and more beds

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Reporting Scotland last night had the above, missing key facts on vaccine uptake and the resilience of NHS Scotland. Here they are: Scottish Government significantly widened access to free flu vaccine to give more than twice as many, per capita, protection from worrying new mutation First, availability in England – you can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you: Source: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/ In Scotland, significantly wider free availability is in place This includes: Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/population-health/health-protection/immunisation-vaccine-and-preventable-disease/seasonal-immunisations/flu-immunisations/adult-flu-immunisations/eligible-groups/ Second, uptake-levels in key groups are already significantly lower in key >65 group in England. For 2024-2025, early trends show Scotland with stronger uptake among over-65s … Continue reading Jackie Baillie apparently blowing a big bubble of lies as Scotland leads the rest of the UK on winter preparations with more flu vaccines delivered, more GPs, more nurses and more beds

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SNP leader did not just win approval, she delivered more than a thousand fewer Covid deaths

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Professor John Robertson OBA A regular media mantra is that FM Nicola Sturgeon got higher approval than PM Boris Johnson but that outcomes in terms of Covid-related deaths were very similar. BBC Scotland and the Scottish press feasted greedily on that last point. In an attempt to quickly gather the research on approval ratings, I asked Grok AI: Is there research evidence comparing the performance during the pandemic of Boris Johnson and Nicola Sturgeon The response to the first part of a performance-rating, was as you’d expect: Polls consistently showed stark contrasts in perceived performance, especially in Scotland: A May … Continue reading SNP leader did not just win approval, she delivered more than a thousand fewer Covid deaths

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The devolved nations governments were not responsible for delays and mistakes in the early pandemic strategy – clear evidence that Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, on behalf of the UK Government, obstructed them at every turn

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Professor John Robertson OBA Under pressure to have a bit of time off, I’ve relied on AI for this. If you see any flaws in the report, please let me know. Is there evidence of Dominic Cummings trying to limit the influence of devolved nations at Covid Cobra meetings? Evidence from the UK COVID-19 InquiryYes, there is direct evidence from Dominic Cummings’ testimony to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry (Module 2, October 2023) indicating efforts to limit the involvement of devolved nations’ leaders (from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) in key COBRA meetings during the early COVID-19 response. This was framed … Continue reading The devolved nations governments were not responsible for delays and mistakes in the early pandemic strategy – clear evidence that Johnson’s chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, on behalf of the UK Government, obstructed them at every turn

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Why will BBC Scotland’s James Cook not inform you of the facts – how Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands?

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and the current First Minister, John Swinney, to close school without the Cabinet being present. Professor John Robertson OBA Is it because Cook just trusts the Herald and is too lazy to do his job? It seems so. In the Herald, January 2024: The Scottish Government ignored its own scientific advice not to close schools during the second Covid wave of 2021, the UK inquiry into the pandemic has heard.   Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said that the decision to shut classrooms across Scotland was “not necessary” and did not contribute to halting the … Continue reading Why will BBC Scotland’s James Cook not inform you of the facts – how Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands?

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East Sussex-born, Tory-appointed Baroness and BBC Scotland conspire to hide the facts and blame Nicola Sturgeon for pandemic ‘failures’ despite her doing better on every measure to save thousands

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Nicola Sturgeon SNP Leader 2014-2023 Professor John Robertson OBA In tonight’s BBC Scotland report, Baroness Hallett, appointed by PM Theresa May in 2019, made comments designed to ensure no one thinks the Scottish First Minister or her colleagues did any better than Boris Johnson PM and his ‘team’. It’s a remarkable and jaundiced account, factually and selectively biased. First, nowhere mentioned, bias by omission, the inquiry did not hear of that most poignant and significant of facts. The mortality rate resulting from the decision made in each nation, was 3.9% in Scotland, 4.9% (25% worse) in Wales and 6.5% (almost … Continue reading East Sussex-born, Tory-appointed Baroness and BBC Scotland conspire to hide the facts and blame Nicola Sturgeon for pandemic ‘failures’ despite her doing better on every measure to save thousands

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Have Scottish Government’s significantly widened access to free flu vaccine to give more than twice as many, per capita, protection from worrying new mutation, prevented a crisis?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Viral respiratory diseases in Scotland surveillance report, published on 20 November 2025 (Latest release): Whilst influenza activity in Scotland remains at low level overall in week 46, an increasing trend continues. This is progressively seen across all age groups, having more affected the 5-14 age group in earlier weeks. Increases in laboratory confirmed cases, from 446 to 528, and test positivity, from 9.6% to 11%, are relatively moderate in week 46 compared to week 45. Test positivity for influenza A in CARI surveillance remained stable between weeks 46 (24.2%) and 45 (24.8%) although increased in adult … Continue reading Have Scottish Government’s significantly widened access to free flu vaccine to give more than twice as many, per capita, protection from worrying new mutation, prevented a crisis?