Tag: mental-health

1 Comment

Could there be a simple positive reason for the reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol and drugs treatment in Scotland – years of success in treatment programmes and Scot Gov success in initiatives on minimum pricing and opioid reversal kits?

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA, former opioid painkiller addict and ‘steady drinker‘ to this day From Public Health Scotland today: In Phase One of this investigation PHS conducted internal exploratory analysis to validate and describe changes in the numbers and characteristics of people accessing Tier 3 and 4 services between 2011/12 and 2021/22, using data from the Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) and its predecessor, the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Waiting Times (DATWT) database. In Phase Two of this investigation, Public Health Scotland presents a national-level examination of the same data sources. This quantitative analysis presents national data shared with … Continue reading Could there be a simple positive reason for the reduction in the number of people accessing specialist alcohol and drugs treatment in Scotland – years of success in treatment programmes and Scot Gov success in initiatives on minimum pricing and opioid reversal kits?

3 Comments

Latest figures further highlight the shocking contrast between levels of domestic abuse of children and adults in England and Scotland

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Back around 2014, Frankie Boyle joked that if Scotland was to become an Islamic republic, it would have to start treating its women better. It was already a joke well past its time then and would be plain daft today. By several measures, even 20 years ago, under the last Labour/Lib Dem administration, Scotland was the most violent part of the UK and especially so for women. Things have changed. The Guardian today has: Nearly 90% of cases before the family courts in England and Wales show evidence of domestic abuse, a watchdog has disclosed. Physical, … Continue reading Latest figures further highlight the shocking contrast between levels of domestic abuse of children and adults in England and Scotland

3 Comments

Sarwar Jr has the same grasp of medical science as RFK Jr before his conversion on measles vaccines and supports a criminal justice approach to drug abuse which does not reduce it and which carries significant harms for individuals and for all of us

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Robert F Kennedy Jnr has at least had the intelligence to change his mind on measles vaccination but Sarwar Jr shows little sign of learning on drug abuse and regulation as he pursues populist, street-corner, theories in a vain attempt to undermine the SNP Conference and to come second in the 2026 Scottish election. In the Daily Record yesterday as the SNP Conference begins: Anas Sarwar says he does not support drug decriminalisation for personal use: The Scottish Labour leader said communities do not back “making it easier for people to get drugs and take drugs” … Continue reading Sarwar Jr has the same grasp of medical science as RFK Jr before his conversion on measles vaccines and supports a criminal justice approach to drug abuse which does not reduce it and which carries significant harms for individuals and for all of us

1 Comment

Plummeting drug deaths and target-busting treatment but they desperately hang on to Scotland’s past

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland‘s website is headlining the vote in Holyrood yesterday which rejected the Conservative Party’s proposed bill that would have given people with drug and alcohol addictions the legal right to treatment. The report opens with  Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who tabled the Right to Addiction Recovery (Scotland) Bill, said the legislation would have saved lives. However, opponents said the proposals risked overburdening already stretched services. No evidence for either of these claims if offered and the author has little choice but to tell us, at same point, even if later, the facts which … Continue reading Plummeting drug deaths and target-busting treatment but they desperately hang on to Scotland’s past

Leave a comment

NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ‘maternity failings’

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Many thanks to Brian McGowan for alerting us to this. How are things in Scotland you ask? £1.3 billion was paid out in 2024/205: https://www.cwj.co.uk/site/newsandevents/legalnews/costs_of_NHS_maternity_care_claims_revealed.html Per head, that £1.3 billion becomes £13 billion, less than half the NHS England pay-outs of £27 billion. Why might this difference exist? See this from Stirling University researchers in the BMJ in 2019: We found few differences in maternity care experience for women based on their physical or socioeconomic characteristics. Our findings indicate that maternity care in Scotland is generally equitable. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/2/e023282 Further measures in Scotland: In January 2024, the Daily Mail reporting a drop … Continue reading NHS England has to pay out more than twice as much as NHS Scotland for ‘maternity failings’

1 Comment

A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border

johnrobertson834

and abusive past has made more than 19 500 reports since it started ten years ago. Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland in their BBC Breakfast insert have the above special report today but it’s not being coverfed anywhere else. Interesting, what effect is the scheme having on the relative level of domestic abuse and violence against women in Scotland? That would be an obvious question to ask. They don’t go there so here is the wider picture: Domestic abuse is TWICE as common in England and Wales as in Scotland From the Scottish Government’s Safer Communities Directorate: The police recorded 63,867 incidents … Continue reading A story never to be told – Domestic abuse of women twice as common and, of children, four times as common, across the border

4 Comments

How can there be ‘an A&E crisis’ of deaths ‘associated’ with long waits only in Scotland when they are actually falling here and nearly FOUR times as common in NHS England?

johnrobertson834

With only 7 days left, support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – John Robertson, Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA This morning, the Scotsman and the Metro are feeding BBC Scotland with the idea based on the emergency doctors’ trade union report, the RCEM, that long A&E waits are ‘associated with’, ‘costing‘ and the ‘toll‘ from stays of 12 hours and more. Only BBC Scotland has this headlined. As always there’s a basic flaw in their argument – the number waiting 12 hours … Continue reading How can there be ‘an A&E crisis’ of deaths ‘associated’ with long waits only in Scotland when they are actually falling here and nearly FOUR times as common in NHS England?

5 Comments

BBC Scotland keeps a sickening media feeding frenzy going regarding a ‘cruelty claim children’s unit’ in Glasgow but sheds no light

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland today: No inspections were carried out at cruelty claim children’s unit – No official regulator had the power to inspect Scotland’s biggest children’s psychiatric hospital during a seven-year period in which staff were accused of cruelty to patients, it has emerged. Skye House in Glasgow was visited between 2017 and 2024 by advisory body the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland. However, it did not have any enforcement powers. … Continue reading BBC Scotland keeps a sickening media feeding frenzy going regarding a ‘cruelty claim children’s unit’ in Glasgow but sheds no light

3 Comments

Leading research group casts doubt on NHS England’s waiting list figures

johnrobertson834

stewartb As has been highlighted before on TuS, one needs to look closely and critically at performance statistics for NHS England. They are not always what they seem – cf. 12 hour A&E waits. The Nuffield Trust is now exposing yet more dodgy data. Source: Nuffield Trust (August 13 2025) Why is the planned care waiting list coming down and what does the data really tell us? Context: ‘When Wes Streeting celebrated the improvement in the waiting list – saying “thanks to our interventions and the hard work of NHS staff, the overall waiting list has now fallen in April for the … Continue reading Leading research group casts doubt on NHS England’s waiting list figures

2 Comments

After 18 years of plummeting crime figures, police recorded AND surveyed by academics, Scots themselves confirm it again – crime IS falling and is far lower than in England & Wales

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details or by direct bank transfer method – Sort code 08-91-04, Account 12266421 Professor John Robertson OBA The above poll results for 31 August 2025, repeat something I’ve noticed for years now – Scots seems significantly les concerned about crime than those elsewhere in the UK. At the beginning of August, the same pollster found a ration of 19 to 11 between the UK and Scottish responses. Why might this be? I’d say it’s a clear indicator that the other two sources, policed recorded crime statistics, large … Continue reading After 18 years of plummeting crime figures, police recorded AND surveyed by academics, Scots themselves confirm it again – crime IS falling and is far lower than in England & Wales