Tag: health

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Drug deaths in England being seriously under-counted

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Opioid deaths in England 50% higher than recorded In September 2025 (most recent data for this purpose) , BBC UK reported: More than 13,000 heroin and opioid deaths have been missed off official statistics in England and Wales, raising concerns about the impact on the government’s approach to tackling addiction. Research from King’s College London, shared exclusively with BBC News, found that there were 39,232 opioid-related deaths between 2011 and 2022, more than 50% higher than previously known. The error has been blamed on the government’s official statistics body not having access to correct data and it is understood ministers are … Continue reading Drug deaths in England being seriously under-counted

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BBC Scotland’s report on one ‘senior’ doctor’s call for more obesity drug roll-out is ill-informed and one-sided contrary to their royal charter

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jabs to patients with obesity. The latest figures say one in three Scots are obese. Dr Mark Strachan is president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and says more people need access to what he calls the ‘astonishing drug.’ NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde says it’s looking into the prescribing of weight loss jabs (sic) Mounjaro and Wegovy. BBC Scotland‘s insert in BBC Breakfast this morning has the above. How strong is the evidence for Dr Strachan’s view which I note has not appeared widely in news media today? A ‘senior’ doctor you might think better qualified to … Continue reading BBC Scotland’s report on one ‘senior’ doctor’s call for more obesity drug roll-out is ill-informed and one-sided contrary to their royal charter

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Shocking latest US research finds 80 000 unnecessary breast and other cancers near nuclear power stations to further condemn Scottish Labour’s energy strategy

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From A national analysis of the impact of proximity to nuclear power plants on lung, breast and colon cancer mortalities in the U.S., 2000–2020 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology [5.5 impact factor- which is good to strong for a science journal] published yesterday: Results Proximity to nuclear power plants was associated with elevated mortality from breast, colon, and lung cancers. From 2000 to 2020, an estimated 39,767 female deaths (95% CI: 9312–69,381), representing 2.01% (95% CI: 0.47–3.50%), and 38,124 male deaths (95% CI: 16,106–59,600), representing 2.33% (95% CI: 0.98–3.64%), were attributable to this proximity. Lung cancer … Continue reading Shocking latest US research finds 80 000 unnecessary breast and other cancers near nuclear power stations to further condemn Scottish Labour’s energy strategy

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NHS Highland director reveals child poverty in her previous Wales responsibility is predicted to be a shocking nearly 60% higher

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are living in poverty. BBC Scotland’s wee insert in BBC Breakfast this morning is announcing the above and, on their website: Public health director Jennifer Davies said that of its 12,834 under-fives, almost 22% lived in relative poverty. In a new report, Davies said the “sheer geographic scale” of the area – which covers the Highlands and Argyll and Bute – posed challenges in reaching health services for some families. She said they could benefit from greater availability of housing, improved transport links and investment in play spaces. Davies said support for families should also be strengthened to maximise access … Continue reading NHS Highland director reveals child poverty in her previous Wales responsibility is predicted to be a shocking nearly 60% higher

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Significantly fewer Scots dissatisfied with social care services but Royal College of Nursing lies to deny Scottish Government any possible satisfaction

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Treat negativity about Scotland’s NHS and social care services with healthy scepticism: evidence of the Royal College of Nursing being plain wrong and opting to omit relevant positives. My apologies to stewartb but I’ve used my perhaps unattractive unilateral editorial powers to replace his more mature header above with my more combative version at the top! By stewartb When political advocacy in advance of a parliamentary election takes by its own admission, a ‘gloves off‘ tone, it seems reasonable to point out a clear error in case-making. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) recently published this report: ‘The Nursing Workforce … Continue reading Significantly fewer Scots dissatisfied with social care services but Royal College of Nursing lies to deny Scottish Government any possible satisfaction

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Glasgow’s ‘Super-hospital’ is safer than the average in Scotland much safer than many in England and has been so for many years – this is a BBC ‘Witch hunt’

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the entire Queen Elisabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow should be risk assessed. Who is this safety expert? for the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry and says it’s incredibly difficult to say whther the hospital is safe or unsafe for all patients. Only yesterday, we had confirmation in the form of official mortality statistics that the QEUH is safer than average in Scotland and far safer than several hospitals in England. See: Looking back over the years to the period of the Inquiry, here are the facts confirming the safety and rejecting Poplett’s attention seeking: In August 2025, BBC Scotland returned with … Continue reading Glasgow’s ‘Super-hospital’ is safer than the average in Scotland much safer than many in England and has been so for many years – this is a BBC ‘Witch hunt’

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No hospital postcode lottery in Scotland as Glasgow’s giant is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really troubled hospitals

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From Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratios January 2025 to December 2025 published today, the above chart and: No hospitals had a significantly higher standardised mortality ratio than the national average. HSMR acts as a signal, highlighting hospitals where mortality is higher or lower than predicted. This prompts hospitals to review their care processes, check for possible issues and identify areas for improvement. In Scotland, the national HSMR is set at 1.00. A hospital with an HSMR less than one has fewer deaths observed than predicted within 30 days of admission, whereas an HSMR greater than one indicates more observed deaths than … Continue reading No hospital postcode lottery in Scotland as Glasgow’s giant is revealed as one of safest in Scotland and far safer than several of NHS England’s really troubled hospitals

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Newborn health at real risk near nuclear plants but Scottish Labour double down on new plants in Scotland

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The Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) is located near Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California, on approximately 1,000 acres along the Pacific coast. It is the state’s largest single power station and the only operational nuclear plant in California following the 2013 closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. From the Santa Barbara Independent, yesterday: Just weeks after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a 20-year license extension for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, scrutiny surrounding the human health impacts from radiation have emerged from both academia and Diablo opponents. A recent Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analysis found higher cancer mortality rates in U.S. counties located closer to nuclear plants, while a nonprofit-led report questioned whether decades of Diablo Canyon’s operation may be tied to worsening infant health in surrounding San Luis Obispo County. Federal regulators and health officials, however, maintain that radiation exposure from the plant … Continue reading Newborn health at real risk near nuclear plants but Scottish Labour double down on new plants in Scotland

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Let’s not vote to have Scotland changed to be more like Labour’s Wales!

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By stewartb British Labour Party politicians and the MSM in Scotland have been working hard (colluding?) to shield voters here from the overwhelming evidence that whatever improvements Scotland’s NHS needs, there is no reason to believe they will be delivered by electing a Labour government to Holyrood. The Party’s track record of governing with (just) devolved powers in Wales provides ample justification for this view. The authoritative health think tank, the Nuffield Trust lays out the state of NHS Wales under a Labour government in power for c.30 years. It compares NHS Wales to the NHS elsewhere in the UK. … Continue reading Let’s not vote to have Scotland changed to be more like Labour’s Wales!

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Interfering with democratic principles just before an election – BBC Scotland repeats ‘too-soon’ evaluation of new GP walk-in clinics just to let opposition, with no evidence on these presented, campaign free-of-charge

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BBC Scotland’s Andrew Picken, yesterday, had: One of the new flagship GP walk-in clinics has seen just 183 patients in its first five weeks, latest figures shows. The facility at Lochee Health Centre in Dundee is part of a network of clinics planned by the Scottish government where patients have access to GP-led care without an appointment. Data released to the BBC under freedom of information laws shows that in the five weeks to 30 April, the Dundee clinic – which is open every day between 12:00 and 20:00 – had 183 people attend. then only 5 paragraphs later: But the walk-in … Continue reading Interfering with democratic principles just before an election – BBC Scotland repeats ‘too-soon’ evaluation of new GP walk-in clinics just to let opposition, with no evidence on these presented, campaign free-of-charge