Tag: health

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Unreported since – Drug treatment in Scotland target smashed for 14th time in a row as 94% of drug abusers wait three weeks or less for treatment

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From National drug and alcohol treatment waiting times 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024, published today, you can see that the 90% target of referrals starting treatment for problematic use of drugs has been been met since June 2021 and has now surged to 95.6% of the 10 919 referrals in one quarter starting treatment for drug abuse within three weeks. Of these, 54.2% (4 042) started within only one week. BBC Scotland has not reported on this service since 2021, when they ignored the overall data and bemoaned: Nearly 60% of services did not give addicts … Continue reading Unreported since – Drug treatment in Scotland target smashed for 14th time in a row as 94% of drug abusers wait three weeks or less for treatment

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Alcohol related hospital admissions in Scotland fall by one third after Labour Government ousted and plummet after minimum unit pricing introduced

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Alcohol related hospital statistics, Scotland financial year 2023 to 2024, published today: In 2023/24, the European Age-sex standardised rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions to general acute hospitals was 548 per 100,000 population and was 3% higher than the rate in 2022/23 (532 per 100,000). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/alcohol-related-hospital-statistics/alcohol-related-hospital-statistics-scotland-financial-year-2023-to-2024/ The above rate peaked at 885.4 per 100 000 in 2007/2008, the last year of the New Labour Scottish Government and the trend since, with one-year fluctuations as is typical, such as last year, has been steadily downward from 885.4 to 548, then dramatically plummeting from 669.6 in 2017/2018, as minimum … Continue reading Alcohol related hospital admissions in Scotland fall by one third after Labour Government ousted and plummet after minimum unit pricing introduced

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Researchers prove that Scotland’s drug death surge was the simple and tragic consequence of the UK Conservative Government’s brutal austerity strategy from 2012 to 2019

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Professor John Robertson OBA Drug deaths have always been more prevalent in poorer communities. In Scotland, half of all drug deaths are from among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods.1 According to research recently published by David Walsh and Gerry McCartney2, of Glasgow University, drug deaths amongst the most deprived communities in Scotland had begun to climb from around 2003 to 2009, under New Labour and then again, but far more dramatically, from around 2012 to 2019 under the Conservative Government. Amongst the least deprived, drug deaths were largely unaffected by austerity policies such as, of course, reduced or withdrawn benefits but among … Continue reading Researchers prove that Scotland’s drug death surge was the simple and tragic consequence of the UK Conservative Government’s brutal austerity strategy from 2012 to 2019

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Chronic pain treatment levels now even higher than before pandemic but you’d never know that if you relied on BBC Scotland’s Fiona Stalker

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: During the quarter ending 30 September 2024, 5,315 patients were referred to a consultant-led chronic pain clinic. This is an increase of 2.8% compared to the previous quarter, when 5,170 patients were referred. Referrals to a chronic pain clinic are now higher than during 2023, when on average 4,990 patients were referred each quarter. Referrals are also higher than the levels seen prior to the COVID-19 pandemic when on average 5,197 patients were referred each quarter during 2019. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/chronic-pain-waiting-times/chronic-pain-waiting-times-quarter-ending-30-september-2024/ BBC Scotland haven’t reported on chronic pain since 2020 when they found three folk … Continue reading Chronic pain treatment levels now even higher than before pandemic but you’d never know that if you relied on BBC Scotland’s Fiona Stalker

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Potentially fatal hypothyroidism far more common in Scotland, on the prevailing sea currents from Sellafield than in England, especially London

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Many thanks to reader Alan Gordon for alerting me to this. From the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in October 2024, Hypothyroidism:How common is it?: A review article notes that the prevalence of overt hypothyroidism in Europe varies between 0.2–5.3%, depending on the definition of hypothyroidism used. A retrospective analysis of General Practice data in the North East of England (n = 66,843) found the overall single-point prevalence of treated hypothyroidism was 4.5% in 2016. A review of UK national databases found the prevalence of treated hypothyroidism increased from 2.3% (1.4 million) to 3.5% (2.2 million) of the total … Continue reading Potentially fatal hypothyroidism far more common in Scotland, on the prevailing sea currents from Sellafield than in England, especially London

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Just as Labour Government announces extension of 46 crack Torness nuclear power station to keep lights in London on, new research suggests cancer mortality risk is greater and quicker to develop than current estimates

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By Professor John Robertson OBA As a response to evidence that the UK [England] will need nuclear to meet its ‘Clean power by 2030‘ target1, the Torness plant in Scotland, where 46 cracks have recently been identified in the ageing reactor2, is to be kept in service until 2030. Coincidentally, my alert on this topic today revealed, from the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (originally published 2 September 2024): The scientists estimated that the mortality rate due to leukaemia increased by more than 250% per gray (Gy) of exposure (excess relative rate [ERR] per Gy, 2.68; 90% confidence … Continue reading Just as Labour Government announces extension of 46 crack Torness nuclear power station to keep lights in London on, new research suggests cancer mortality risk is greater and quicker to develop than current estimates

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Almost 90% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health cases start treatment within target

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: 89.1% of children and young people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 84.1% for the previous quarter and from 75.6% for the same quarter ending September 2023. The Scottish Government standard states that 90% of children and young people should start treatment within 18 weeks of referral to CAMHS. 1 Sources: Support Scots Independent, Scotland’s oldest pro-independence newspaper and host of the OBA (Oliver Brown Award) at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/shop/ The Oliver Brown Award for advancing the cause of Scotland’s self respect, previously awarded to Dr Philippa Whitford, Alex Salmond and Sean Connery: https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116 About Oliver Brown, the … Continue reading Almost 90% of Child and Adolescent Mental Health cases start treatment within target

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Deadly measles being held at bay by NHS Scotland’s vaccination levels

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: There were 19 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in the first three quarters of 2024: six cases in the first quarter, eight cases in the second quarter, and five cases in the third quarter. Of these 19 cases, ten are thought to have been imported and related to travel outwith the UK, and one further (secondary) case was related to one of these imported cases. Of the remaining eight cases, three cases had history of recent travel in England and may have acquired measles there; the other five cases had no history … Continue reading Deadly measles being held at bay by NHS Scotland’s vaccination levels

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Are Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Nausea spreading all over Scotland or is it just BBC Scotland making us feel that way?

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Still a big item for BBC Scotland after 4 days: NHS Grampian has suspended visiting to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin after an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting. The health board said three wards had been closed to new admissions and only essential visitors would be allowed at the Moray hospital. The report does not refer to Norovirus but those are the big symptoms and it tends to strike in winter in hospitals. What’s the wider picture BBC Scotland? Should we be concerned? You can’t tell us? Editor says no? Oh well, from Public Health Scotland on 24 November: See … Continue reading Are Diarrhoea, Vomiting and Nausea spreading all over Scotland or is it just BBC Scotland making us feel that way?

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Actual news – alcohol treatment hits 90% target, consumption and hospital admissions plummet

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Reporting Scotland today but not making it to their website, so a direct feed from Scottish Health Action of Alcohol Problems, claiming an ‘unmet need’ for alcohol treatment services. Not mentioned by BBC Scotland, these facts. First, on existing services: From Public Health Scotland on 25 June 2024: Alcohol and drug treatment services both seeing around 90% of referrals within 3 weeks, year after year, with a tiny, not statistically significant, gap in performance. The news is that these services are both target-hitting consistently and should be getting media attention for that but they never do. Source: https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times/national-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-waiting-times-1-january-2024-to-31-march-2024/ Second, … Continue reading Actual news – alcohol treatment hits 90% target, consumption and hospital admissions plummet