Tag: health

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Scotland’s slowing drug death rate fall linked to flood of cross-border low-cost, high strength drugs and inadequate police resources in England and Wales

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In the run-up to the July General Election, Labour promised to add 3 000 new officers1 to the current 240 000 in England and Wales2 – a 01.25% increase. This promise was, in part, in response to steadily climbing drug deaths: The rate of drug-poisoning deaths in 2023 (93.0 deaths per million) was double the rate in 2012 (46.5 deaths per million). The rate has increased every year since 2012.3 Why are drug deaths climbing steadily and even accelerating in England & Wales since around 2017? The National Crime Agency first reported on County Lines Drug gangs in 2015 and … Continue reading Scotland’s slowing drug death rate fall linked to flood of cross-border low-cost, high strength drugs and inadequate police resources in England and Wales

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UK Labour Health Secretary’s callous incompetence responsible for Scottish nurse death linked to weight loss drug

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA BBC Scotland today has been making much of the tragic story of one Scottish Nurse, whose death may have been linked to the drug Mounjaro, which she bought online, in the wake of Wes Streeting’s widely reported enthusing about it and NHS England’s approval of it to be sold online and without, I think, any requirement for a GP to sign for it. On the 15th October, the UK Government announced a 5 year trial of the safety and efficacy of the drug1 yet on the 4th September, the nurse, had been able to buy it … Continue reading UK Labour Health Secretary’s callous incompetence responsible for Scottish nurse death linked to weight loss drug

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Radioactive tritium emissions around Clyde nuclear sub base which ‘smash into’ your DNA, DOUBLE as cancer cases surge yet smoking rates plummet

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By Professor John Robertson, OBA From the CND, yesterday: Radioactive air emissions have been increasing year-on-year at Coulport one of Britain’s nuclear submarine bases in Scotland. This development is of some concern as it would lead to increased health risks wherever the emissions were inhaled.  Investigations by The Ferret and The National newspaper found that emissions of radioactive tritiated water vapour had doubled at the Royal Navy’s nuclear weapons storage depot at Coulport on Loch Long between 2018 and 2023. According to the Scottish Pollution Release Inventory, tritiated water vapour emissions at Coulport were 1.7 billion becquerels (units of radioactivity) in 2018, rising steadily to … Continue reading Radioactive tritium emissions around Clyde nuclear sub base which ‘smash into’ your DNA, DOUBLE as cancer cases surge yet smoking rates plummet

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Scotland’s emergency departments at least 10% better than in NHS England in September 2024 and probably more than that if the latter’s trickery is exposed

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today, 65.9% of those attending full Emergency Departments, in September 2024 were seen within 4 hours.1 From NHS England, the equivalent figure was 59.8%.2 NHS Scotland’s ED’s are thus 10.4% more efficient. Sources: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/urgent-and-unscheduled-care/accident-and-emergency/interactive-charts/how-long-people-spend-in-ae/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ The gap is probably greater: NHS Scotland performance likely to be even further ahead as five examples of cover-up and distortion by NHS England managers is revealed We already know that, based on trusting the current published NHS England data, NHS Scotland’s A&E service is around 3 times better on the crucial 12 hour waits1 and twice as effective … Continue reading Scotland’s emergency departments at least 10% better than in NHS England in September 2024 and probably more than that if the latter’s trickery is exposed

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Susan Dalgety misses the three woman who have really saved lives from cancer in Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Former Jack McConnell spad and regular Scotsman fake news provider, Susan Dalgety, is front page today with: How three women are saving lives from cancer. Straight off, I thought she must be talking of those three Scottish health secretaries, Nicola Sturgeon, Shona Robison and Jeanne Freeman. Turns out it’s not them, yet: Scotland’s dramatically better cancer waiting times September 20th 2024, BBC UK’s Nick Triggle has: The cancers with longest treatment waits revealed with the above graph for NHS England data. I’ve added, where possible, equivalent Scottish data. While skin and prostate/kidney waiting times do seem slightly longer … Continue reading Susan Dalgety misses the three woman who have really saved lives from cancer in Scotland

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Good news – major fall in annual trends for suspected drug deaths, A&E and hospital admissions

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By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland today: Drug-related data can vary seasonally, so me comparing the same quarter, in this case June-August, gives a more accurate measure of trends. First, on drug deaths: In the latest period (3 June to 25 August 2024), the total number of suspected drug deaths was 225, averaging 19 per week. The total number of deaths was 10% lower than the previous quarter (249), 13% lower than the same period in 2022 (258) and 25% lower than in 2023 (301). A suspected drug death is a death where controlled drugs are suspected of being … Continue reading Good news – major fall in annual trends for suspected drug deaths, A&E and hospital admissions

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Falling fertility rates – Scotland leads UK in progress for women, families, societies and the environment

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BBC Health has this today: Women in England and Wales had an average of 1.44 children between 2022 and 2023, the lowest rate on record. Only 591,072 babies were born in 2023, fewer than in any year since 1977 and a fall of more than 14,000 on the previous year, figures from the Office for National Statistics, external showed. For countries to maintain their populations, the fertility rate needs to be around 2.1 children per woman. Experts say the government could introduce some policies to help. “The government could implement immediate interventions… such as offering longer paid parental leave, more funding for childcare … Continue reading Falling fertility rates – Scotland leads UK in progress for women, families, societies and the environment

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Rachel Reeves to fund a 0.57% increase in appointments in desperate attempt to catch NHS Scotland

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By Professor John Robertson OBA: From BBC Health, yesterday: Chancellor sets out new funding for extra NHS appointments then spells it out: The chancellor has said more funding will be provided to help the NHS deliver the extra 40,000 appointments and procedures per week – or more than two million a year – promised in the Labour manifesto. An extra 40 000, 2 million more every year? Big numbers, or are they Primary 7? From NHS England on 25 April 2024: GP teams delivered almost 30 million appointments for patients last month (March 2024), up almost a quarter on the same period before … Continue reading Rachel Reeves to fund a 0.57% increase in appointments in desperate attempt to catch NHS Scotland

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20 peer-reviewed and published research studies find that NORMAL operation of reactors causes ‘cancers chromosomal aberrations, birth defects and miscarriages, and mental retardation after in utero exposure’ and Scottish Labour will risk more of that

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In an extensive review of research over the last 30 years, published in 2016 in the International Journal of Environmental Research into Public Health, Dean Kyne (University of Texas) and Bob Bolin (Arizona State University) identified 20 reports confirming that normal operation, as opposed to during accidents like that at Chernobyl, causes cancer especially after exposure before birth and in very young children. They write: Evidence suggests that individuals living near the nuclear power plants face difficult-to-avoid health risks associated with exposure to low level routine radioactive effluents emitted from plants. Given that no level of radiation exposure is considered … Continue reading 20 peer-reviewed and published research studies find that NORMAL operation of reactors causes ‘cancers chromosomal aberrations, birth defects and miscarriages, and mental retardation after in utero exposure’ and Scottish Labour will risk more of that

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8% of UKthe population but 16% of the meat exports – 8% of the UK population but 31% of total UK food and drink exports

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Many thanks to Cuckooshoe for alerting me to this, from Meatex on 16 October 2024, but of no interest to BBC Scotland: Scotland’s red meat and offal exports beyond the UK have experienced a significant rise, reaching a value of £137 million, according to the latest survey by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS). The report highlights a remarkable recovery in the sector, with a 26% increase in export value compared to previous years.1 From ADHB on 1 October 2024: The latest figures from HMRC show that from January to June 2024, total UK red meat exports were up 2% in volume … Continue reading 8% of UKthe population but 16% of the meat exports – 8% of the UK population but 31% of total UK food and drink exports