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

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 September 2023, 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 died in Wales, suggesting … 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

‘Major leak at Highland nuclear site triggers hunt for mystery bunkers’ reminds us that spikes in childhood leukaemia, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and all cancers around nuclear facilities have been confirmed by German and other independent researchers

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. The National‘s report today with the above headline, reminds me. Of what? First, increased child leukaemia: I asked the Elicit AI for scientific research which claims to help researchers be 10x more evidence-based: How dangerous is it to live 5km from a nuclear power station? After more than 5 minutes, it responded: Studies show mixed results on living within 5km of nuclear power plants, with some European research finding roughly doubled childhood leukemia risk while studies from other regions generally show no significant overall cancer risk. Which regions? This is stark. Why do 5 German … Continue reading ‘Major leak at Highland nuclear site triggers hunt for mystery bunkers’ reminds us that spikes in childhood leukaemia, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and all cancers around nuclear facilities have been confirmed by German and other independent researchers

Another attempt to hide the true NHS England performance as waiting lists in Scotland keep falling

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Today, BBC UK present, uncritically, the suggestion that waiting lists are falling at the same time as they’re getting longer, in NHS Alice in Wonderland: BBC analysis shows more procedures and treatments are being carried out across the NHS in England, but still not enough to match the number of new patients joining waiting lists. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/l0057yrn This is just another attempt (more below) by NHS England to fiddle the figures on behalf of the Labour Government. The waiting list is the waiting list. Imagine BBC Scotland if NHS Scotland tried to … Continue reading Another attempt to hide the true NHS England performance as waiting lists in Scotland keep falling

BBC UK find ’55 babies who died may have survived with better care’ to add to police investigations into hundreds of avoidable baby deaths in NHS England but none in Scotland and NHS England pays out twice as much for maternity failings!

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. First thing today, on BBC Breakfast, we hear of a joint BBC News/New Statesman, external investigation into maternity care at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UH Sussex) which has found: No government nor former government minister is associated, in the BBC Health report, with these horrific figures. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg2n644l44o Starting with the last bullet point above but coming to all of them, we already know this about the relative performance of NHS Scotland, despite the continuous efforts by BBC Scotland, the Herald and Scottish Labour to pin a much smaller number deaths on … Continue reading BBC UK find ’55 babies who died may have survived with better care’ to add to police investigations into hundreds of avoidable baby deaths in NHS England but none in Scotland and NHS England pays out twice as much for maternity failings!

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

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

Experienced researcher finds AI far more trustworthy on Scottish politics than BBC Scotland, STV, the Herald, the Scotsman or The Ferret

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. I really had to laugh. I’ve done a lot of searching for information and sometimes analysis and evaluation using Grok, chatgpt and other general AI platforms. I do find bias against the independence movement, the SNP and the Scottish Government but only when the AI gives to much credence to the so-called Scottish media, especially those in my headline above. Mostly, however, if I’m careful with my questions, initial and follow-up, I discover that these AI tools, all owned outside the UK do not seem to have an agenda on Scotland. … Continue reading Experienced researcher finds AI far more trustworthy on Scottish politics than BBC Scotland, STV, the Herald, the Scotsman or The Ferret

As Mandelson case exposes the risks of using US company Palantir for health data, how Nicola Sturgeon’s government made sure it didn’t happen in Scotland two years ago

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. In the Guardian today: Labour should halt public contracts with the US tech company Palantir, opposition politicians have said, amid growing concern at the lack of government transparency over dealings with the company and Peter Mandelson. Since 2023, Palantir has secured more than £500m in contracts with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), while it employed Global Counsel, the lobbying firm founded by Mandelson. Emails released by the US Department of Justice show Mandelson sought help from Jeffrey Epstein to find “rich individuals” as clients. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/feb/05/calls-to-halt-uk-palantir-contracts-grow-amid-lack-of-transparency-over-deals In August 2024, the BMJ warned: … Continue reading As Mandelson case exposes the risks of using US company Palantir for health data, how Nicola Sturgeon’s government made sure it didn’t happen in Scotland two years ago

‘Tipping point’ with more midwives and far lower deaths? Police investigate over 1 000 avoidable baby deaths in NHS England but none in Scotland and NHS England pays out twice as much for maternity failings!

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. The Herald today has ‘Tipping point’ for maternity services. It’s nonsense. Why? This: NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ‘maternity failings’ £1.3 billion was paid out in Scotland in 2024/205 compared to £27 BILLION in England. Per head, that £1.3 billion becomes £13 billion, less than half the NHS England pay-outs of £27 billion. Sources: https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/publications/media-release-inspection-report-royal-infirmary-of-edinburgh-nhs-lothian/ https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1983476698260623709 https://www.cwj.co.uk/site/newsandevents/legalnews/costs_of_NHS_maternity_care_claims_revealed.html NHS Scotland caring for 8% of the population but with not one of the five major maternity crises and a system that is ‘equitable’ … Continue reading ‘Tipping point’ with more midwives and far lower deaths? Police investigate over 1 000 avoidable baby deaths in NHS England but none in Scotland and NHS England pays out twice as much for maternity failings!

Maternity unit inspection report requires no formal inquiry or police investigation, SIXTEEN trusts in England do, so BBC Scotland twist the inspection report to suggest ongoing worries though these were dealt with by Scottish Government TEN years ago

Support Talking-up Scotland -In this election year in Scotland, the 90% pro-Union media and their sponsors in the opposition parties will do everything they can to undermine the pro-independence parties. Thought vastly outnumbered, we will do our very best to counter their lies and get you, every day, the true stories and the sources of evidence to prove them. Help us if you can at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-get-the-facts-for-you From BBC Scotland today: A hospital in East Ayrshire has been ordered to improve the way it handles patient safety incidents in its maternity unit, almost 10 years after it was the centre of … Continue reading Maternity unit inspection report requires no formal inquiry or police investigation, SIXTEEN trusts in England do, so BBC Scotland twist the inspection report to suggest ongoing worries though these were dealt with by Scottish Government TEN years ago

Everything is politicised in Scotland especially the NHS but never in England

Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy By Liz “It is, in our view, a strong step on the way to achieving our shared ambition with the Scottish Government, of making Scotland the best place in the UK for doctors to train and work.“ Oh but apparently according to certain very hostile and opposing sources , aka anti SNP sources , it is the SNP, as the Scottish government, who are supposedly “destroying the Scottish NHS”. Meanwhile elsewhere in the UK other political parties who govern elsewhere within the UK fail to reach agreement with the doctors on their jobs and pay. The media within Scotland … Continue reading Everything is politicised in Scotland especially the NHS but never in England