Tag: health

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Global thyroid cancer ‘surge’ – Scottish Labour policy challenged as new research reviewing more than 2 000 studies finds increased risk of thyroid cancer for those living near nuclear power plants

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Health yesterday reported on a global surge in thyroid cancer with: It’s long been known that exposure to large amounts of ionising radiation in childhood can cause thyroid cancer. In the years following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, rates of the disease skyrocketed in children in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. One study found that amongst Japanese atomic-bomb survivors, about 36% of thyroid cancer cases since 1958 could be attributed to childhood radiation exposure. From The National on 9 July 2024: SCOTTISH Secretary Ian Murray has repeatedly refused to say the new UK Labour government will not overrule its devolved counterpart to see nuclear projects built in … Continue reading Global thyroid cancer ‘surge’ – Scottish Labour policy challenged as new research reviewing more than 2 000 studies finds increased risk of thyroid cancer for those living near nuclear power plants

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Scotland’s flu season starts early but 18 years of SNP administration means we are more ready than Lisa Summers has managed to analyse with 30% more beds and 71% more nurses

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland‘s Lisa Summers, the above graph, and: There has been a sharp increase in flu cases detected in Scotland over the last week, official figures show. Data from Public Health Scotland (PHS) shows there were 431 new positive flu cases in the week ending 9 November, a 70% increase on the previous week when 253 cases were recorded. The number of patients admitted to hospital has also almost doubled, rising from 115 to 218. There are typically around 12 000 patients in hospital beds any day of the year in Scotland so that extra … Continue reading Scotland’s flu season starts early but 18 years of SNP administration means we are more ready than Lisa Summers has managed to analyse with 30% more beds and 71% more nurses

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In mid-November, as resident doctors in England actually begin strikes which caused 53 000 excess deaths last time BBC Scotland headline hopefully a ballot for action which may or may not begin ‘next year!’

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning headlined the ballot which may or may not lead to action ‘next year’, as resident doctors do actually go on strike in England. Since when did trade union ballots become front page news? Not one newspaper in Scotland has front-paged it. BBC Scotland‘s website below also had a link to the story. This is an editorial decision. It’s not random. BBC Scotland does mention that strikes were avoided last year but did not tell viewers what had been achieved ie avoided, by the Scottish Government’s actions. Here it … Continue reading In mid-November, as resident doctors in England actually begin strikes which caused 53 000 excess deaths last time BBC Scotland headline hopefully a ballot for action which may or may not begin ‘next year!’

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Scotland has 3 322 district nurses and England has shockingly only 4 000 for more than TEN TIMES the population

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UK Government plans to move more NHS England care into the community and out of hospitals won’t be achievable with far fewer district nurses than in Scotland By stewartb Another contrast in favour of Scotland’s healthcare system which will receive no MSM media attention and candidly, little or acknowledgement either from the relevant trade union, concerns District Nursing. Source: Nufffield Trust (May 31, 2025) 1 in 4 district nurses leave NHS – fix district nursing or risk jeopardising plans to shift care closer to home, warns think tank.‘ (Typical of England-based health think tanks, one has to read into their reports … Continue reading Scotland has 3 322 district nurses and England has shockingly only 4 000 for more than TEN TIMES the population

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How can midwives be at ‘breaking point’ with 15% more than NHS England and far fewer (zero) maternity units in crisis

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Professor John Robertson OBA Remember the days, less than 20 years ago, when corporate media like the Herald would only have trade unions on the front page to suggest they were selfish, overpaid, dishonest, a threat to the economy, the nation even. These days, they’re ‘useful idiots‘ to be exploited in the campaign for Labour in the next Holyrood election. I have 1 bairn (born in Falkirk) and three weans (born in Irvine). The midwives were all wonderful. One of the consultants less so. I’m not doubting they feel under pressure but: By 2024, NHS Scotland had 2 581 midwives, … Continue reading How can midwives be at ‘breaking point’ with 15% more than NHS England and far fewer (zero) maternity units in crisis

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Jackie Baillie sets new low desperately trying to hide SNP Government’s huge lead in preparing for expected flu outbreak, widening free access from 5 to 13 key groups and carrying out proportionally more than TWICE as many jags (not ‘jabs’) as in Labour England

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Professor John Robertson OBA Jackie Baillie, Labour Unhealthy Spokesperson, in the terminally-ill Scotsman yesterday, with the above claim. From BBC Health last week and being broadcast widely and frequently: Flu strikes every winter, but this year something seems to be different. A seasonal flu virus suddenly mutated in the summer. It appears to evade some of our immunity, has kick-started a flu season more than a month early, and is a type of flu that history suggests is more severe. The NHS has now issued a “flu jab SOS” as fears grow that this will add up to a brutal winter. There … Continue reading Jackie Baillie sets new low desperately trying to hide SNP Government’s huge lead in preparing for expected flu outbreak, widening free access from 5 to 13 key groups and carrying out proportionally more than TWICE as many jags (not ‘jabs’) as in Labour England

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There is no hospital in Scotland you need fear attending but in England, 31 you might be wary of and 5 you really need to stay away from

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Professor John Robertson OBA Once again Public Health Scotland publish figures showing that all of Scotland’s hospitals are operating with the same high safety levels as each other. In the above chart we can see that all bar one, from the smaller hospitals on the left, to the giant Queen Elisabeth University Hospital on the right, no hospitals had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average. From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios July 2024 to June 2025, published yesterday, the above graph and: For the period July 2024 to June 2025: HSMR is a risk-adjusted hospital mortality measure … Continue reading There is no hospital in Scotland you need fear attending but in England, 31 you might be wary of and 5 you really need to stay away from

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Nearly THREE times as many emergency patients per capita wait 12 hours or more in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

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By stewartb Campaign against austerity needed to push Westminster to support the NHS in England, NI and Wales even to match the A&E waiting times performance in Scotland – for the sake of all patients across the UK. The RCEM is an active campaigner in the cause of NHS staff and patients involved with NHS emergency services across the UK. It responds frequently to the release of official waiting times performance statistics by issuing press statements. The RCEM is especially ‘diligent’ and especially hard-hitting politically when responding to the situation in Scotland. Moreover, it seems to be accorded an especially … Continue reading Nearly THREE times as many emergency patients per capita wait 12 hours or more in NHS England than in NHS Scotland

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Breastfeeding more common for first time as Scottish Government’s most progressive and well-funded promotion programme in the UK pays-off

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Infant feeding statistics Financial year 2024 to 2025, published today, the above momentous graph and: Supporting breastfeeding is an important public health activity, with strong evidence that breastfeeding protects the health of children and mothers. The information is collected at Health Visitor reviews of children at 10-14 days (First Visit), 6-8 weeks, and 13-15 months of age. Main points There have been notable increases in breastfeeding – 69% of babies reviewed in Scotland in 2024/25 were breastfed for at least some time after their birth, compared with 63% in 2016/17. In 2024/25, and for the first time … Continue reading Breastfeeding more common for first time as Scottish Government’s most progressive and well-funded promotion programme in the UK pays-off

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FIVE years of success in turning Scotland’s drug deaths trend around, the reasons for that and the reasons it’s not even better than that

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Professor John Robertson OBA This is simply untrue. The drug deaths trend in Scotland has been downward for these last five years, from 1 339 in 2020 to 1 017. A 24.2% fall, by a quarter in only 5 years after more than 20 years of increasing, is very significant and suggests a successful strategy by government, which I’ll return to. Here is the evidence in two graphs, for 2020 and 2025 from Drug-related deaths in Scotland, 2024, published on 2 September 2025: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland-2024/ The full NRS report contains further evidence that this is a confirmed downward trend and notably … Continue reading FIVE years of success in turning Scotland’s drug deaths trend around, the reasons for that and the reasons it’s not even better than that