Tag: mental-health

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UK Labour aim to halve violence against women in 10 years but to a level still far higher per head than in Scotland today – is that anywhere near good enough? Ask Anas!

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and girls in ten years. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Breakfast above, today, has been discussing at length, the Labour Government’s new strategy promising to halve violence against women and girls in ten years. What is the current level? In the year-ending June 2025, there were 72 804 cases of rape and attempted rape, 211 225 sexual offences and 797 530 cases of domestic abuse, in England and Wales.1 In Scotland in the same period, the figures were 2 897, 5 124 and 2 573.2, 3 England & Wales have roughly 11 times the population, so all things being equal … Continue reading UK Labour aim to halve violence against women in 10 years but to a level still far higher per head than in Scotland today – is that anywhere near good enough? Ask Anas!

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As NHS Scotland hits treatment targets for a year, what is the cause of a ‘child mental health emergency?’

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Professor John Robertson OBA I am, of course, not competent to evaluate the claims of the charity making them in the Herald above but I am, as are all of you, competent to ask why an apparent improvement in performance in the NHS services for them – CAMHS – now for a year, treating more than 90% of those children referred to it (7 500) in one quarter, within the 18 week target, 50% within only 3 weeks1, is now in a crisis mode when it was not in mid-2022 or in the years before? Where’s the expert, the ‘top … Continue reading As NHS Scotland hits treatment targets for a year, what is the cause of a ‘child mental health emergency?’

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NHS England asking hospitals to make patients wait longer and reduce the numbers they treat until the end of the financial year! Imagine that was in Scotland?

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Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health today, the above and: Access to hospital treatments is being restricted in many areas of England as the NHS struggles to balance its books, the BBC has learnt. Regional health boards have ordered some hospitals to cut back on the number of patients they are seeing, meaning hundreds of thousands of patients could have to wait longer for treatment. NHS managers said they were between a “rock and a hard place” trying to juggle balancing the books with tackling the hospital backlog, which currently stands at 7.4 million. Reducing waits for things like … Continue reading NHS England asking hospitals to make patients wait longer and reduce the numbers they treat until the end of the financial year! Imagine that was in Scotland?

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Scotland has more graduates, more patents and more business investment than other parts of the UK

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Business investment rises to 20-year high in Scotland published yesterday: A new report has shown that business investment in Scotland has risen to a 20-year high – in contrast to a fall across the UK. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes today helped to launch the annual CBI–Addleshaw Goddard Scottish Productivity Index, showing a rise in business investment to more than 10% of GDP for the first time in 20 years. The Index confirms Scotland leads the UK in higher-level qualifications with 53.7% of the working-age population educated to this level. It also highlights key progress … Continue reading Scotland has more graduates, more patents and more business investment than other parts of the UK

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SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Daily Telegraph, 24 November 2025: SNP ministers decided to create their much-delayed Scottish NHS app from scratch after being warned against the “political optics of adopting” the existing English version. An assessment prepared for the Scottish Government on whether to “re-use” the English NHS app admitted that it was an “already usable and scalable digital platform”. It’s not clear who did the above assessment nor is it likely that the Telegraph is reporting all of it’s views give that they have missed a key factor – integration with social care services. Perhaps reflecting England’s failure to properly develop … Continue reading SNP ordered separate NHS app because of need for Scotland’s better-funded, better-delivered and more integrated social care not for reasons given by Telegraph

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Why do Scotland’s deprived areas NOT have the most troubled hospitals?

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian yesterday, the above and: Blackpool report: why do England’s deprived areas have the most troubled hospitals? The findings of the report into Blackpool Victoria hospital are as shocking as they are damning: a culture of bullying, racial discrimination and harassment that has contributed to a staff exodus with a direct impact on patients. The treatment of chronic disease, including Parkinson’s, were just some of the areas blighted by what appears to be a toxic culture. But the Royal College of Physicians report, leaked to the Guardian, exposes much broader challenges for the NHS – and … Continue reading Why do Scotland’s deprived areas NOT have the most troubled hospitals?

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They so want Rutherglen to be like Rochdale but from Police Scotland – ‘No current investigations in Scotland involving offences against children which would mirror the investigations [in England] described in Baroness Casey’s audit as being perpetrated by “grooming gangs”

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Professor John Robertson OBA They will not give up. They smell blood and tears and with Joani Reid’s help they will make sure enough Scots think we have rape grooming gangs too and so are no different. Why do they want this? To keep SNP supporters at home. Readers will be aware no doubt of new Labour MP Joani Reid’s shameless u-turn on national inquiries into grooming gangs – no in England where they are many, to save her boss a red face, but yes in Scotland, where there are none, proving that as Jimmy Reid’s granddaughter, the apple can fall pretty … Continue reading They so want Rutherglen to be like Rochdale but from Police Scotland – ‘No current investigations in Scotland involving offences against children which would mirror the investigations [in England] described in Baroness Casey’s audit as being perpetrated by “grooming gangs”

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Nearly £300 for carers only in Scotland in run-up to Christmas

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Professor John Robertson OBA From December payment for thousands of Scots carers published yesterday: Carer’s Allowance Supplement will be paid to more than 96,000 carers across Scotland from 4 December. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an extra payment, currently made twice a year, for people in Scotland who get Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on the qualifying dates. The payment of £293.50, which is only available in Scotland, will be made automatically from 4 December to people who were paid Carer Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance on 13 October 2025. Carers due to get the payment will get a letter … Continue reading Nearly £300 for carers only in Scotland in run-up to Christmas

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Youth suicides in Scotland fall after Scottish Government’s ‘stand-out’ initiatives and have nothing to do with Daily Record’s campaign

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Professor John Robertson OBA The Daily Record is getting right into making money from youth suicides but, of course, not telling you the whole story. They don’t even define ‘youth’ so I have the stats for the 15-24 and 5-24 groups and both are falling. For the 15-24 group, overall suicides are down 12% from 2023 and the average age at suicide – 47.5 years suggests a shift toward older adults with youth data likely stable/low). We won’t get an age breakdown until 2026, so I have to doubt the Record’s story. For the 5-14 group, overall suicides are down … Continue reading Youth suicides in Scotland fall after Scottish Government’s ‘stand-out’ initiatives and have nothing to do with Daily Record’s campaign

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Crime in Scotland falls 37% from 2007 to barely half the level in England and Wales

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report: November 2025 published on 27 November 2025: Police recorded crime changed little between year ending June 2024 and year ending June 2025, increasing by 1%. The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in the year ending June 2025 was 303,343. This was 3,265 crimes (or 1%) higher than the level recorded in the year ending June 2024. The recording of crime remains below the position immediately prior to the pandemic (2019-20) and is down 51% from its peak in 1991. Property and violent crime has … Continue reading Crime in Scotland falls 37% from 2007 to barely half the level in England and Wales