Tag: europe

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Despite surrounding poverty, drug abuse and years of UK Government austerity policies, Glasgow’s biggest hospital is one of the safest in Scotland and more so than the vast majority in England

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA Public Health Scotland, today, released the Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios data. Of particular interest is the ratio of observed to predicted deaths within 30 days. The ratio should be 1. If it’s much more than 1, then that may indicate a problem in staffing, operating theatre availability, ward cleanliness and, of course, many other factors. Lower than 1 is good news. For QEUH, it was 0.92. Only 4 of the 32 hospitals in Scotland had a more reassuring ratio. QEUH also had a lower than average Crude Mortality rate of 3.7% below the national average of … Continue reading Despite surrounding poverty, drug abuse and years of UK Government austerity policies, Glasgow’s biggest hospital is one of the safest in Scotland and more so than the vast majority in England

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Why is BMA Scotland silent when Labour is a threat to Highland and Island practices?

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to MSM Monitor for pointing this out. From BBC Highlands and Islands yesterday but conspicuously absent from BBC Reporting Scotland or Good Morning Scotland: Doctors in the Highlands fear increased National Insurance (NI) costs could close some practices, a senior Scottish figure in the British Medical Association (BMA) has said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her Budget last week payments from employers – including medical practices – would go up next April. Dr Al Miles, deputy chairman of the BMA‘s Scottish GPs committee, said Highland doctors had contacted him worried about thousands of pounds of increased costs. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6l91prnqeo … Continue reading Why is BMA Scotland silent when Labour is a threat to Highland and Island practices?

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Privatised Greek ferries described as ‘like being on a cross between the back of a floating lorry and a building site’ as another runs aground only three years after another sank with 530 onboard and one year after late arrival was pushed off to his death

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From Tornos News yesterday: The passenger ferry “Aghia Theodora,” which ran aground earlier on Tuesday in waters about four nautical miles northwest of the port of Igoumenitsa was pulled free with the assistance of tugboats and has arrived safely at Igoumenitsa port, ANA reports.1 Only three years before, the MV Express Samina inter-island ferry sank with 530 on board In September 2023, highlighting ‘fears about the safety of some of the ageing vessels that ply Aegean waters.‘2 One year ago: A video that went viral showed 36-year-old Antonis Kargiotis running on to the loading ramp of the ferry in Athens … Continue reading Privatised Greek ferries described as ‘like being on a cross between the back of a floating lorry and a building site’ as another runs aground only three years after another sank with 530 onboard and one year after late arrival was pushed off to his death

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Latest Greek ferry tragedy as everything stops in strike affecting most islands

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A late-arriving passenger pushed to his death in the screws at Piraeus, dangerously over-crowded ferries, elderly passengers having to walk through the waves onto the sand carrying their bags after jetty collapses and no winter service at all to the smaller islands in this privatised and unsubsidised system, and now a massive strike over several days which government refuses to care about. From the Maritime Executive, last week: The unions representing Greek seafarers including deckhands, dockworkers, and others on the country’s critical island ferries, are extending their strike for another two days as they demand better wages and work rules. … Continue reading Latest Greek ferry tragedy as everything stops in strike affecting most islands

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Threat of complete tourism collapse as Channel Islands government dillies but one tender seems quite unsafe

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Owned by King Charles III and run by centrist/rightist governments, the Channel Island been suffering a terrible ferry fiasco for years now with locals often unable to meet important medical appointments and businesses run businesses, especially in tourism. From BBC South-West, today: Ferry firms and business groups have called for an “immediate” decision on which company will run ferry operations in the Channel Islands from March. Brittany Ferries, Condor Ferries, Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Jersey Hospitality Association, said in a statement that the “prolonged impasse” on awarding the contract was “detrimental” to tourism. Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of … Continue reading Threat of complete tourism collapse as Channel Islands government dillies but one tender seems quite unsafe

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Greek islanders running out of food as lifeline ferries face indefinite strike action but Greek Government doesn’t feel any responsibility

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From TTW yesterday: For the third consecutive day, ferry services across Greece have come to a complete halt due to a strike by the Greek seamen’s union, leaving island residents and tourists stranded. The seamen, represented by the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO), are demanding a 15 percent pay rise for their members, while shipowners have so far only offered a 3 percent increase. With both sides at an impasse, the strike continues to disrupt travel and supplies to Greece’s many inhabited islands, especially those without airports. The ferry strike has resulted in a transportation crisis for the islands that rely … Continue reading Greek islanders running out of food as lifeline ferries face indefinite strike action but Greek Government doesn’t feel any responsibility

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Brian Wilson knows nothing about the massive benefit islanders get from Scot Gov generosity on ferries

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Brian Wilson is in the Herald today with another ill-informed rant against CalMac and by association, of course, the SNP in Government. Read it yourself, if you have the stomach. Here are the facts: Research reveals Scotland’s island communities benefit from the most inclusive, generously subsidised and up-to-date ferry service in the comparable world Research undertaken for Transport Scotland in 2022, by Ernst and Young LLP, compared the ferry systems operating in Scotland, Canada (BC), Norway, Australia and New Zealand. The Norway service is a bit of an outlier with twice as many passengers per year than … Continue reading Brian Wilson knows nothing about the massive benefit islanders get from Scot Gov generosity on ferries

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400 passengers stranded in Bilbao on a day when Brittany ferries cancels, brings forward or delays, 5 out of only 14 sailings in a ferry fiasco while CalMac does 97% of 506 sailings on time

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From MSN today: BRITTANY FERRIES HAS apologised to hundreds of passengers who are stuck on a ferry in the Port of Bilbao due to a “technical problem”.    The Galicia ferry, which travels from Rosslare to Bilbao and is operated by Brittany Ferries, was due to sail at 4pm Irish time.  However, the journey was abandoned because of a technical problem, which is understood to have affected one of the vessel’s engines. There are thought to be approximately 400 passengers onboard.  Imagine that happened in Scotland. From Brittany Ferries today: 2 out of only 14 cancelled and 4 moved to … Continue reading 400 passengers stranded in Bilbao on a day when Brittany ferries cancels, brings forward or delays, 5 out of only 14 sailings in a ferry fiasco while CalMac does 97% of 506 sailings on time

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England facing the ‘Jaws of Death’ as water runs out in only 25 years and Scotland’s 30 000 freshwater lochs replace oil, gas and renewables in the struggle for independence

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From @ArchbishopStua1 (Who could he be teasing there?) today, this: Without significant action, the National Audit Office (NAO) forecasts that the total water demand will start to exceed supply in England no later than 2034. Be under no illusion English Privatised Water Companies need access to the water in Scotland. https://x.com/ArchbishopStua1/status/1846584824129298790 and from the Guardian in June 2023: Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic https://www.theguardian.com/news/2023/jun/15/drought-is-on-the-verge-of-becoming-the-next-pandemic#:~:text=Without%20significant%20action%2C%20the%20National,England%20no%20later%20than%202034 In the above, there’s a link to this from March 2019: England could run short of water within 25 years https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/18/england-to-run-short-of-water-within-25-years-environment-agency There are no references to Scotland in the above and … Continue reading England facing the ‘Jaws of Death’ as water runs out in only 25 years and Scotland’s 30 000 freshwater lochs replace oil, gas and renewables in the struggle for independence

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CalMac ferry fares to increase to only a fraction of those for Isle of Wight.

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From BBC Scotland today: Ferry fares in Scotland will increase by 10% from next year, the Scottish government has confirmed. The rise will take effect from 1 January 2025 on the Northern Isles network and from 28 March on the west coast. CalMac’s services in the west have been under particular pressure due to ageing vessels, with the main Arran ferry out of action for most of the year. Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said a fare freeze in place this year had cost £10m and it would be “too challenging to continue”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly40y40pq9o?at_format=link&at_link_origin=BBCScotlandNews&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_link_type=web_link&at_medium=social&at_link_id=A28BEBDA-8A30-11EF-A859-B34A7FBC4FAB&at_campaign_type=owned&at_ptr_name=twitter She said fares were frozen for 2023-24 instead … Continue reading CalMac ferry fares to increase to only a fraction of those for Isle of Wight.