Tag: covid-19

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Only BBC Scotland attempts a scare on a supposed ‘flu surge’ despite admitting ‘relatively little pressure’ in the country with the most GPs, nurses and beds and the cleanest hospitals

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today, above and with this contradictory evidence further down:: The data found, external that among care homes in the country a “substantial number” had found influenza circulating, but residents were confirmed as having taken the flu vaccine to combat it. PHS noted only “a small number of deaths” had been reported among care homes. For intensive care units, the flu had caused “relatively little pressure” but PHS noted there was one case of a pregnant woman admitted to ICU due to influenza in the most recent reporting. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2l96730lyo BBC England? No flu surge in England? Well: Flu … Continue reading Only BBC Scotland attempts a scare on a supposed ‘flu surge’ despite admitting ‘relatively little pressure’ in the country with the most GPs, nurses and beds and the cleanest hospitals

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The use of imagined cancer deaths to attack SNP health secretaries

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Two days ago, I noticed this research report from the USA casting doubt on the effectiveness of cancer treatment to avert a spike in deaths: At the peak of the shortage, about 15% of patients probably had trouble accessing a platinum chemotherapy drug, the study found. But there was good news, too: Despite the shortages, the study team could find no difference in death rates for patients with solid tumor cancers in 2023 versus the year before. https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-12-24/last-years-platinum-based-drugs-shortage-didnt-raise-cancer-deaths-study-found#:~:text=At%20the%20peak%20of%20the,2023%20versus%20the%20year%20before. I was then reminded of two previous times when opposition parties and their pals in the ‘Scottish’ media had used … Continue reading The use of imagined cancer deaths to attack SNP health secretaries

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Covid care home deaths – the thousands saved and lost in Scotland and in England

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On 22 January 2021, BBC UK had a special report on the anxiety in English and Welsh care homes that they were being left behind in the vaccine rollout. Days earlier, in response to a question by Philippa Whitford, Matt Hancock confirmed that only 24% of care home residents in England had been vaccinated. On the same day, the First Minister of Scotland indicated that 80% of care home residents and staff had now been vaccinated. Some councils, Inverclyde and North Ayrshire claimed 100%. Whitford then explained: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation was very clear that those who … Continue reading Covid care home deaths – the thousands saved and lost in Scotland and in England

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Scottish Conservatives Leader argues on behalf of hostile journalists who actively misled us on how Nicola Sturgeon, according to their own top civil servant, showed the UK Government ‘how to do it’

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. Russell Findlay, a former journo himself, is in the Scotsman today arguing, with great irony, that the SNP had created a hostile atmosphere and were preventing scrutiny during the pandemic. That is, of course, the opposite of what happened, according to Dr Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service under Boris Johnson PM, and his top adviser, at the Covid Inquiry.  From the National in May 2024: NICOLA Sturgeon was showing the Tory government “how to do it” during the Covid pandemic, according to WhatsApp messages sent … Continue reading Scottish Conservatives Leader argues on behalf of hostile journalists who actively misled us on how Nicola Sturgeon, according to their own top civil servant, showed the UK Government ‘how to do it’

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When America sneezes the world catches a cold – As vaccine deniers in England get a boost from the appointment of RF Kennedy, the risk to Scotland increases

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA From ABC News last week: Doctors worried RFK Jr. will tout vaccine-skeptic views after he is picked for HHS secretary The appointment of Robert F Kennedy (above) to the post of Health and Human Services Secretary gives a major boost to the hopes of vaccine deniers in the USA and inevitably to those in the UK. Kennedy is already accused of playing a part in enabling the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak, with 83 deaths and 5 700 cases in a population of only just over 200 000. Only months before, he had travelled to Samoa and … Continue reading When America sneezes the world catches a cold – As vaccine deniers in England get a boost from the appointment of RF Kennedy, the risk to Scotland increases

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NHS Scotland performance likely to be even further ahead as five examples of cover-up and distortion by NHS England managers is revealed

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By Professor John Robertson: We already know that, based on trusting the current published NHS England data, NHS Scotland’s A&E service is around 3 times better on the crucial 12 hour waits1 and twice as effective on cancer treatment waits.2 However, after decades of rampant managerialism, there have been a number of scandals where these managers, more concerned with image than truth, have introduced procedures to hide the facts. First, back in 2018, it became apparent that NHS England had the dubious practice of restarting the clock after A&E patients are admitted whereas in Scotland counting continues from first arrival.3 See … Continue reading NHS Scotland performance likely to be even further ahead as five examples of cover-up and distortion by NHS England managers is revealed

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A&E – Scottish Daily Express front page is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation

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stewartb The Scottish Daily Express front page article – by its Scottish Political Reporter – is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation. It seeks to link excess deaths following a visit to A&E with NHS Scotland missing its four hour standard of 95% of patients being discharged, transferred or admitted within four hours. The postulated causal link between an increase in excess deaths and A&E attendance advanced by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is concerned primarily with time periods of over eight and more significantly, over 12 hours. The Express fails to make this clear despite there being multiple … Continue reading A&E – Scottish Daily Express front page is a disgraceful example of misrepresentation

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The simple facts that reveal the extent to which the SNP Government better protected us against Covid deaths despite the delay in devolving responsibility and Johnson’s callous inertia – saving thousands

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By Professor John Robertson OBA 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: Two years later, in February 2022, as the pandemic receded, the simple consequences in terms of mortality in different parts of the UK can be see in this table from the UK Covid 19 Inquiry report6: Other than the isolated South-west of England, Scotland had the lowest mortality rate of the 4 nations, even lower than Northern Ireland sheltered by its sea gap. 15% more … Continue reading The simple facts that reveal the extent to which the SNP Government better protected us against Covid deaths despite the delay in devolving responsibility and Johnson’s callous inertia – saving thousands

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Children’s Cancer Wards Inquiry – Relying on a doctor who resigned before the supposed ‘spike’, repeating the lie that there was a ‘spike’ in infections and ignoring fact that QEUH’s child cancer wards had the same infection rate as other hospitals

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, BBC Scotland tells us: A senior doctor has told an inquiry she was “appalled” at the state of child cancer wards when a new £870m hospital opened in Glasgow in 2015. In evidence presented to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, infection control doctor Teresa Inkster said she felt “something had gone horribly wrong”. Dr Inkster was the lead infection control doctor for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde from April 2016 to September 2019. During that time the children’s cancer wards were forced to close because of a spike in unusual infections. Note the use of the word ‘felt’ … Continue reading Children’s Cancer Wards Inquiry – Relying on a doctor who resigned before the supposed ‘spike’, repeating the lie that there was a ‘spike’ in infections and ignoring fact that QEUH’s child cancer wards had the same infection rate as other hospitals

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SHOCK LATEST – Scotland’s flu deaths among over 65’s at HALF the level in England – why?

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian today: At least 18,000 deaths in England were associated with flu over the past two winters, figures have revealed, as health experts urge those eligible to take up a free vaccination on the NHS. 1 There’s no breakdown of the two years so, roughly, 9 000 per year, on average. The Daily Record today, repeated the above shocking headline figures for England, then without any sign of surprise, had: In Scotland in 2023, 447 people died from flu and so far this year another 345 have succumbed to the illness.2 Regulars and those stats lovers … Continue reading SHOCK LATEST – Scotland’s flu deaths among over 65’s at HALF the level in England – why?