Tag: mental-health

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England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland

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From Termination of pregnancy statistics Year ending December 2025 published in Scotland today, the above and: Following an acceleration in 2022, the rate of increase in demand for termination services has slowed and is the same this year as last, with 17.6 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years receiving a termination in 2025. Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics/termination-of-pregnancy-statistics-year-ending-december-2025/ In England: Official statistics for terminations of pregnancy (abortions) in England for the year ending December 2025 are not yet available. The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) publishes annual Abortion statistics for England and Wales. As of May 2026, these … Continue reading England is abortion capital of Europe with 31% more than Scotland

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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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One Scottish member of an Afghan child sex grooming gang operating only in Norfolk changes nothing in Scotland’s review

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In the Guardian today, the above and: As far as I can see the media operating in Scotland and opposition politicians have not yet spotted that reference to Scotland. That all the offences were committed in Norfolk will not stop them importing child sex grooming gangs into Scotland and calling for an immediate inquiry rather than the SNP Government’s 18-month timetable for a national review that would only then inform a decision on whether a full public inquiry is required. Here’s why a careful approach to a national review is required, reasons which were already in a response to Labour … Continue reading One Scottish member of an Afghan child sex grooming gang operating only in Norfolk changes nothing in Scotland’s review

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Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale’s thinktank tries to hide entirely English culture of County Lines drug gang ‘cuckooing’ plague in Scotland

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Regulars here will recognise the rarely enlightening thinktank headed up by Lord McConnell, Chris Deerin and their totally non-academic, guide-leader, BBC average housewife interviewee, Research Director, Alison Payne. Today, they have the above and: The recent passage of a new criminal offence of cuckooing within the Crime and Policing Act marks a significant milestone after years of sustained advocacy by the Centre for Social Justice and Justice and Care. It is a reform grounded not in theory, but in the lived experience of some of the most vulnerable individuals across the UK. Cuckooing, sometimes described as “forced home invasion”, occurs … Continue reading Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale’s thinktank tries to hide entirely English culture of County Lines drug gang ‘cuckooing’ plague in Scotland

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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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By any measure (four of them) crime really is way down under the SNP yet they maintain 200 more police officers than the last Labour Government in 2007

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From Police officer quarterly strength statistics: 31 March 2026 published tody: Scotland’s Chief Statistician has published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: there were 16,430 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 March 2026 and this is an increase of 196 FTE police officers (+1.2%) from the 16,234 FTE police officers recorded at 31 March 2007. https://www.gov.scot/publications/police-officer-quarterly-strength-statistics-31-march-2026/ You can see in the graph above how overall crime in Scotland has plummeted since 2002 but, crucially, has continued to … Continue reading By any measure (four of them) crime really is way down under the SNP yet they maintain 200 more police officers than the last Labour Government in 2007

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Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for predicted ‘Iran war’ shortages

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hours searching for stock of common medicines like antidepressants and HRT and government (UK) payments no longer cover the cost of some drugs. BBC Breakfast this morning has the above in a fuller report on the problem. Neither they nor the subsequent Reporting Scotland news, report what is happening in Scotland Here’s why. In the Guardian 29 March 2026: Britain [sic] is “a few weeks away” from medicine shortages ranging from painkillers to cancer treatment if the Iran war continues, according to experts, while drug prices could also rise. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/28/uk-weeks-away-medicine-shortages-iran-war-impacts-experts-warn The above makes no mention of Scotland. Searching for reports … Continue reading Scotland’s model for pharmacy offers lessons for predicted ‘Iran war’ shortages

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Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot

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From BBC Health and on BBC Breakfast News today: Early care scheme could prevent thousands of miscarriages a year – In the Women’s Health Strategy announcement last week, the government said it was considering “wider adoption” across the NHS in England. Baroness Merron, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said: “This will be carefully considered as part of our ongoing work to make sure women get the high-quality, compassionate NHS care they deserve.” NHS Scotland is already making improvements in miscarriage care, including not waiting until a third miscarriage and providing separate rooms in … Continue reading Charity is calling for implementation of graded model of miscarriage aftercare already available in Scotland across the whole of the UK – NHS England still considering a pilot

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First GP Walk-in clinic – Herald evaluation is too quick, asks wrong questions and their ‘top medic’ is far from that

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The Herald today has: Doctors have told the SNP to drop its plans to expand walk-in GP clinics after new figures showed patients waited up to six hours to be seen at the first facility in Scotland. The clinic at Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre in Edinburgh, opened in February and was the first of around 30 walk-in clinics promised by the Scottish Government, currently led by the SNP. and So, another combined effort by Scottish BMA and the Herald to undermine the top party leader, John Swinney and the SNP. Are they stupid? Don’t they know this? Early reporting (including the article you … Continue reading First GP Walk-in clinic – Herald evaluation is too quick, asks wrong questions and their ‘top medic’ is far from that

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Contrary to England, vulnerable children in Scotland must be placed in regulated safe settings

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Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today: Ministers must get to grips with the “national scandal” of England’s shadow child social care system, the children’s commissioner has warned, as a report reveals the number of children in unregulated settings has increased by more than 370% in five years. Some of the most vulnerable children in England are being temporarily placed in unregulated caravans, Airbnbs and holiday camps, which risk the “accumulation of increasing levels of harm for children who have already faced enough distress for several lifetimes”, according to the report. Analysis of Ofsted data has … Continue reading Contrary to England, vulnerable children in Scotland must be placed in regulated safe settings