Tag: england

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NHS Scotland coping with THREE TIMES as many flu cases as Scotland shivers under Labour UK fuel allowance cuts and price increases

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From BBC Health, this morning: There is deep concern at a senior level in the NHS about rising rates of flu. The number of patients in hospital with flu continues to climb, according to latest NHS figures in England. Last week, the numbers averaged 5,407 a day – up from just under 4,500 the week before. As we mentioned a moment ago, the numbers in hospital have risen again over the past week, with nearly 5,000 beds occupied on average last week by patients struggling with the virus. NHS England’s emergency care director Prof Julian Redhead says there are no … Continue reading NHS Scotland coping with THREE TIMES as many flu cases as Scotland shivers under Labour UK fuel allowance cuts and price increases

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Isle of Wight ferry firm Red Funnel does ‘one day diddle’ to conceal ‘everyone taking a large cut out of the dividend’

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From Isle of Wight County Press today: Questions continue to be asked about the finances of Red Funnel after the Isle of Wight ferry firm shortened its accounting reference period for 2022/2023, by one day. It is the third time in two years the company has filed for what is colloquially known as a ‘one day diddle’. It means the cross-Solent operator has yet to publish its financial results for the 2022/2023 financial year. Red Funnel failed to respond to the County Press’s questions, asking why it had shortened the date. https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/24833333.isle-wight-ferry-firm-red-funnel-questioned-accounting-change/ Why might they do that? The Press offers: According to data intelligence company Red Flag Alert, … Continue reading Isle of Wight ferry firm Red Funnel does ‘one day diddle’ to conceal ‘everyone taking a large cut out of the dividend’

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Women victims of homicide – selective reporting to exaggerate the phenomenon in Scotland and hide it in England & Wales

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In the Guardian today: Killed women count – 80 women allegedly killed by men in UK in 2024 – Throughout the year, the Guardian aimed to report on every woman whose death has led to a man being charged. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2024/dec/31/killed-women-count-a-project-highlighting-the-toll-and-tragedy-of-violence-against-women-in-the-uk There, then follow 80 tragic accounts. I can’t imagine many would want to read all the way. I started to read and something jumped out at me but before I discuss that, some important facts about women victims of homicide across the ‘UK.’ According to the ONS, there were 174 females victims of homicide in England and Wales, in 2023.1 … Continue reading Women victims of homicide – selective reporting to exaggerate the phenomenon in Scotland and hide it in England & Wales

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As the Sunday Mail sickeningly exploits the story of a child coming from Morocco to the UK but denied treatment, to attack Scotland, how this small country has helped its big neighbour

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By Professor John Robertson OBA The above front page would be hard to dive below. There are only 12 beds in two facilities in the UK which can carry out this specialist procedure. A child living in Morocco cannot be helped quickly enough and NHS Scotland, one tenth the size of NHS England, is somehow blamed for a lack of capacity UK-wide. While the Sunday Mail may love to offer this kind of sickly tale, we never hear these stories: First, in the Guardian 12 September 2023 , but getting no coverage at all across the BBC or ITV or the press: … Continue reading As the Sunday Mail sickeningly exploits the story of a child coming from Morocco to the UK but denied treatment, to attack Scotland, how this small country has helped its big neighbour

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Too positive to be newsworthy? Scotland’s train cancellations found to be lowest of any country or region in Great Britain.

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By stewartb ‘Worst major train stations for cancellations named’ is the headline of a BBC News website article today (December 20). Despite being Great Britain wide in scope, the story features in the site’s news for England. The same story featured prominently in Radio 4’s Today programme (also on December 20), both in news bulletins and in interviews, including with a Westminster government minister. Although a Today presenter challenged the Labour minister about the benefit of rail run by the public sector in a part of England given its relatively high level of cancellations, the programme made no mention of … Continue reading Too positive to be newsworthy? Scotland’s train cancellations found to be lowest of any country or region in Great Britain.

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Contrary to the Scottish media frenzy, NHS Grampian’s A&E is better than all but one of England’s health boards and 66% better (!!!) than in Thatcher’s, the last Health Secretary and these MP’s Lincolnshire

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Above, the eight MPs for Lincolnshire constituencies, Margaret Thatcher’s birthplace and now home to Reform’s Richard Tice and the Con Gammon’s Sir Edward Leith. Best of all, Victoria Atkins was Health Secretary under Sunak. Why am I interested in Lincolnshire? In October 2024, after 14 years of Tory government, NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board saw only 39.2% of full emergency department patients (Type 1) within the 4 hour target. NHS England as a whole managed only 58.1%.1 In NHS Grampian, the figure was 65%, 11.87% better than the English average and a shocking 65.8% better than the … Continue reading Contrary to the Scottish media frenzy, NHS Grampian’s A&E is better than all but one of England’s health boards and 66% better (!!!) than in Thatcher’s, the last Health Secretary and these MP’s Lincolnshire

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A retired Scottish head teacher explains why England has no idea where many of its children are or what they are doing

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By Alasdair Macdonald The reason why there are so many children in England out of school is because local authorities now have very little to do with the management of schools. Academy trusts now run a high proportion of schools and many of such trusts have a rather cavalier attitude towards exclusion from school, particularly of children from materially poor backgrounds and those with social and behavioural difficulties. In Scotland, where schools are still run by Councils (c96%), the names of pupils excluded from school or missing from school are reported to Social Work via Councils and alternative provision can … Continue reading A retired Scottish head teacher explains why England has no idea where many of its children are or what they are doing

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NHS England’s ‘alarming decline’ in 12 key metrics being averted by SNP Government – Stillbirth, ‘The Canary in the Coalmine’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks once more to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: Darzi [Prof Lord Ara Darzi, the surgeon and former health minister ] said there had been “alarming declines” in 12 key metrics of patient safety in England since 2022. They include maternity care, in which there are growing rates of stillbirth, babies dying during or soon after they are born and also women dying while giving birth. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/dec/12/nhs-spends-147bn-a-year-treating-patients-in-england-hurt-by-care-mistakes-says-report The stillbirth rate in Scotland in 2023 was 3.7 per 1 000 births, the same as in 2022 and having fallen steadily from 4.2 in 2020 (during … Continue reading NHS England’s ‘alarming decline’ in 12 key metrics being averted by SNP Government – Stillbirth, ‘The Canary in the Coalmine’

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Feeling safe in Scottish schools – How BBC and Reform Scotland’s research director cannot read OECD research on that showing 90% do

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Professor John Robertson OBA, former Associate Dean (Quality Assurance) Faculty of Education, UWS See all that stuff up there? That’s real that is, not like that fake Reverend Stu Campbell or, or Doctor Feelgood…..or, Professor Longhair…. So, trust me, I can read research. I know you can too but the Research Director at Jack McConnell’s education ‘thinktank’ and the folk at BBC Scotland, clearly can’t or won’t. Who is she? This woman: Why? They had a woman on this morning to say her wean did not go to school because she ‘doesn’t feel safe’ there. I’m sure that’s true but is that enough data to … Continue reading Feeling safe in Scottish schools – How BBC and Reform Scotland’s research director cannot read OECD research on that showing 90% do

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Imagine a Scottish ambulance service told A&E patients to ‘get themselves there’

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. From the Times today: People having a heart attack or a stroke are being asked to get themselves to hospital after dialling 999 in some parts of England, as surging sickness levels plunge the NHS into another winter crisis. The West Midlands Ambulance Service, which declared itself under “severe pressure” last week, confirmed a change to the script used by its 999 call handlers to suggest patients make their own way to hospital during periods of high demand. Six out of ten ambulance services in England were at their highest … Continue reading Imagine a Scottish ambulance service told A&E patients to ‘get themselves there’