SHOCK as FIVE TIMES as many, per head, wait for home care in England than in Scotland

By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today: The number of people estimated to be waiting on a social care assessment to enable them to live independently at home or in the community was 6,027 on 4 November 2024. The estimated number of people assessed and waiting for a care at home package was 3,281 on 4 November 2024. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services/people-requiring-a-social-care-assessment-and-care-at-home-services-26-november-2024/ So, that’s around 9 300 in total waiting for assessment and/or waiting for a care at home package. So, in England that should be around 93 000? It’s not. It’s nowhere near as few. It’s between 400 000 and 500 … Continue reading SHOCK as FIVE TIMES as many, per head, wait for home care in England than in Scotland

Scotland to take no lessons from Labour on saving lives by cutting smoking

By Professor John Robertson, OBA In the Herald, today: The Secretary of State for Scotland has said UK Government proposals to gradually increase the age at which people can buy tobacco “will save lives” in Scotland.  Speaking ahead of the Tobacco and Vapes bill being debated at Westminster tomorrow, Ian Murray said the plans offer a chance to show how a “reset in relationships” between the UK and Scottish Governments can make a difference to peoples lives in Scotland.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24746978.tobacco-restriction-plans-will-save-lives-scotland/ Not being mentioned, of course: From The Scottish Health Survey 2023 – volume 1: main report, published today, the above graph reveals a marked … Continue reading Scotland to take no lessons from Labour on saving lives by cutting smoking

NHS Scotland/Scottish Government to avoid ‘toxic staffing row splitting the NHS’ in England, with more training and better conditions

By Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health this morning: Julia’s first four years as a physician associate [PA] was everything she hoped it would be. After working in the NHS for the best part of a decade in a non-patient facing role, she was delighted to be on the wards supporting doctors and the wider healthcare teams. “I loved the contact I had with patients, assessing them and playing a part in their care. I felt supported and part of a team.” That all changed about a year ago. “Suddenly we came under attack. Doctors in the radiology department started refusing … Continue reading NHS Scotland/Scottish Government to avoid ‘toxic staffing row splitting the NHS’ in England, with more training and better conditions

Yes your Maj, Scotland “should think carefully about its future” out of England and back into Europe

By Anonymous Labour are making the public, the same ones who elected them, pay for the so called ‘financial black hole’ that Labour says exists in the public finances , while Labour, as the new UK government, are also happy to continue to pander to royalty sponging off the public’s taxes. The recent revelation on a £45 million increase for the royal family and then, as per this article, the costs of King Charles coronation also saw another eye watering amount being wasted on pomp and ceremony to pander to his , Charles, ego and his sense of superiority within his so called kingdom. Then we … Continue reading Yes your Maj, Scotland “should think carefully about its future” out of England and back into Europe

Only Scots would abolish the ‘obscene’ cost of the Monarchy

In the Guardian today: ‘Obscene’: Anger after cost of King Charles’s coronation revealed. The coronation of King Charles in May 2023 cost taxpayers at least £72m, official figures have revealed. The cost of policing the ceremony was £21.7m, with a further £50.3m in costs racked up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/nov/21/obscene-anger-after-cost-of-king-charless-coronation-revealed Typically in a press report, the ‘anger‘ is just from the tiny protest group – Republic. No opinion poll is referred to, for the obvious reason that they all indicate continuing support for the monarchy, other than in one place. In January this year, YouGov … Continue reading Only Scots would abolish the ‘obscene’ cost of the Monarchy

School suspensions – When bad things are happening in England they’re NOT always ‘happening across the UK’ too

By Professor John Robertson OBA Today, I just happened to catch Chanel 5‘s Scottish presenter Storm Huntley talking about Primary School suspensions in England and adding, based on her lack of knowledge of what happens in Scotland, the above. From April 2024: From the Scotsman, no friend of the SNP Government, on 25 March 2024: Across Scotland, there were 11,675 cases of temporary exclusion of any length of time, with just one pupil being expelled, as previously revealed by The Scotsman. The figures compare to 39,553 temporary exclusions and 164 permanent in 2007, when the SNP came to power.1 So, with 10 times the population, … Continue reading School suspensions – When bad things are happening in England they’re NOT always ‘happening across the UK’ too

Based on what they did in Wales, a Labour Government in Scotland would add half a million to Scotland’s NHS waiting lists! Pay attention. Do not vote for these numpties without checking this out

By Professor John Robertson OBA, Primary 7 Maths teacher till 1981. Scottish Labour have always had trouble with numbers and Scottish Labour Leader, Anas Sarwar is no exception as he walks into an embarrassing gaff in the Daily Record today, with this: Almost 1 in 6 Scots are on an NHS waiting list. The combined waiting lists total 824,725 people.1 The Scottish Con’s, Sandy Gullane, similarly no that bright, says: Around one in seven Scots is on a waiting list for NHS treatment.2 Make up your mind lads. That’s a big difference, hundreds of thousands. Never mind the sums then, what’s the … Continue reading Based on what they did in Wales, a Labour Government in Scotland would add half a million to Scotland’s NHS waiting lists! Pay attention. Do not vote for these numpties without checking this out

Bomb Squad called to three locations in Glasgow City Centre is most unusual

The current UK Government National Threat Level is: ‘substantial – an attack is likely.’ Why do I say this is unusual? As with IRA terror in the 70s to the 90s, Scotland has seen little of the Islamic terror which struck England in the first decade of the 21st Century after the Iraq invasion. In 2017, I could write: Scotland and Terrorism: Are we safer? السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ‎‎ I’m still not sure if I should be writing this.  I’m not going to tempt fate and say we won’t see anything like the Manchester attack here. I’m just going to present some information … Continue reading Bomb Squad called to three locations in Glasgow City Centre is most unusual

Failing to tell us that the early prison release scheme in Scotland has already been a success as re-offending rate plummets

By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland this morning telling us that MSPs will debate legislation to cut the minimum term served by short term sentence prisoners from 50% to 40% to relieve overcrowding. Wouldn’t be interesting to know if previous early release schemes have been successful? Imagine they had caused a surge in crime? BBC Scotland don’t inform on this despite it being their day job to do so. I’ll do it. In October 2024, after previous batch of early releases the Scottish media were full of headlines like: On in ten prisoners released early back behind bars and Dozens of … Continue reading Failing to tell us that the early prison release scheme in Scotland has already been a success as re-offending rate plummets

Will the Scottish Conservatives call for a full ban on double jobbing for their own distracted colleagues?

In a sad, desperate and fearful attempt to keep Stephen Flynn out of Holyrood, the Scottish Conservatives are calling for a vote to ban “double jobbing” in the wake of Stephen Flynn’s bid to stand as both an MSP and MP. I agree that if elected to Holyrood in May 2026, he should stand down from his Westminster seat. However, I smell something corrupt when the Scottish Cons attempt to climb windily on to a high horse. Being an MP and MSP even in the same geographical area is a push but a wee look at some of jobs the … Continue reading Will the Scottish Conservatives call for a full ban on double jobbing for their own distracted colleagues?