Countess of Chester Hospital inquiry report omits one factor identified by Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health  which make such horror far less likely in Scotland

Help Talking-up Scotland keep goin Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 The above report published today makes no reference staff shortages at the Countess of Chester Hospital but the hospital itself and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) did, 10 years ago in 2016. In the Guardian‘s Lucy Letby: killer or coincidence? Why some experts question the evidence in 9 July 2024: In 2013-14, the CoC neonatal unit had four deaths each year. Then, between June 2015 and June 2016, an unusual cluster of 13 deaths occurred. (The hospital has given different accounts of the number and dates … Continue reading Countess of Chester Hospital inquiry report omits one factor identified by Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health  which make such horror far less likely in Scotland

The BBC in Scotland platform ‘experts’ who all have a rabid #SNPBAD angle in their opinions

By Liz S Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 The BBC in Scotland platform those (same) ‘experts’ who are to be assumed to be neutral , but as experts , they all somehow always seem to have a rabid #SNPBAD angle in their opinions . So then with many of these guests being presented as politically ‘neutral’ you then find that after you do just a wee bit of research, or you already know who they are, it is clearly obvious and so then firmly established that they have an affiliation with some opposition political party to … Continue reading The BBC in Scotland platform ‘experts’ who all have a rabid #SNPBAD angle in their opinions

Lucy Whyte didn’t appear to know that freezing the cost of supermarket staples was a Scottish Labour manifesto pledge

Help Talking-up Scotland keep going Crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-talking-up-scotland-keep-going Or by direct bank transfer to: JOHN WATSON ROBERTSON Sort Code – 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 By Liz S As Jackie Baillie was interviewed by the BBC radio in Scotland in a softly softly interview that was mostly, as per, an opportunity for her to have yet another public platform to scream #SNPBAD via the BBC in Scotland. Yet here is what I found online in the ‘Scottish’ Labour manifesto for the 2026 Scottish elections. 30 April 2026 “100 Days of Change” This was on the ‘Scottish’ Labour website: “If international instability continues, deliver £100 million of emergency support including … Continue reading Lucy Whyte didn’t appear to know that freezing the cost of supermarket staples was a Scottish Labour manifesto pledge

Scotland’s universal and generous IVF system costs nothing in the longer term, reduces psychological distress and increases child-wellbeing

Professor John Robertson OBA From IVF waiting times in Scotland Quarter ending 30 September 2025 published yesterday: During the quarter ending 30 September 2025, 362 patients were screened. The 90% standard was met, with all patients attending a screening appointment within 52 weeks of referral. All patients were screened within 26 weeks at the Aberdeen IVF Centre, and most patients at the Dundee and Glasgow IVF Centres also experienced a wait of this length (88.7% and 80.7% respectively). https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland-quarter-ending-30-september-2025/ How does IVF treatment in Scotland compare with that in England? Scotland has a nationally standardized policy, offering more generous and … Continue reading Scotland’s universal and generous IVF system costs nothing in the longer term, reduces psychological distress and increases child-wellbeing

Factcheck – Maternity services in NHS Scotland far far safer than in NHS England

Professor John Robertson OBA In the Guardian today: Pregnant women in England are at growing risk of suffering a serious injury while giving birth, NHS figures reveal. The number of mothers sustaining a third- or fourth-degree perineal tear while delivering their baby has risen from 25 in 1,000 in June 2020 to 29 in 1,000 in June this year – a 16% increase. Such injuries can have a “life-changing” impact on women’s physical and mental health, cause post-traumatic stress disorder and leave them afraid to have another child. Childbirth experts linked the rise in the most serious forms of tear to poor NHS care, … Continue reading Factcheck – Maternity services in NHS Scotland far far safer than in NHS England

In a media vacuum Scotland’s unique 100% record-breaking IVF programme brings life and saves lives but is never reported

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 Professor John Robertson OBA From IVF waiting times in Scotland Quarter ending 30 June 2025 published yesterday: During the quarter ending 30 June 2025, 320 patients were screened. The 90% standard was met, with all patients attending a screening appointment within 52 weeks of referral. 38.8% were treated in 0-13 weeks, 30.9% in 14-26, 9.4% in 27-39 and 20.9 in 40-52 weeks.1 The target has been met consistently since 2016, 70% in half the time, but never ever reported in the media. Why is it more … Continue reading In a media vacuum Scotland’s unique 100% record-breaking IVF programme brings life and saves lives but is never reported

As 47 families complain about maternity care in another NHS England health trust, why Scottish media struggle to compare

Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Health today: Dozens more parents demand maternity care inquiry – When Tassie Weaver went into labour at full term, she thought she was hours away from holding her first child. But, by the time she was giving birth, she knew her son had died. Doctors had previously told Tassie to call her local maternity unit immediately when she went into labour, she says, because her high blood pressure and concerns about the baby’s growth meant she needed monitoring. But when she first phoned, despite being considered high risk, a midwife told her to stay … Continue reading As 47 families complain about maternity care in another NHS England health trust, why Scottish media struggle to compare

There is no evidence that ‘mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’ but Reporting Scotland want you to think so despite NHS Scotland’s lower maternity death rate and better staffing

Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland this morning claimed that mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary due to a toxic culture there, as they reported on an independent review. The review as reported by BBC Scotland on their website today, does not mention that claim at all: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3x6vy3lkeo The claim comes from a December 2024 internal review by Lothian Health board which BBC Scotland reported as only having this evidence: But staff say they fear the risks to patients remain. “We are afraid we can’t provide safe patient care and that women and babies are being … Continue reading There is no evidence that ‘mothers and babies came to harm in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’ but Reporting Scotland want you to think so despite NHS Scotland’s lower maternity death rate and better staffing

Scotland’s unique free 100% target-busting IVF service, saving lives and the NHS millions, year after year but to absolutely no media recognition

The Talking-up Scotland fund raiser, closing today at 3pm, primarily to enable the recruitment of some research assistance, in order to take pressure off me [74 in June and tiring] and hopefully to further improve the blog, has made a good start. To contribute, only if you can (!) go to: Talking-up Scotland – a Politics crowdfunding project in Ayr by Professor John Robertson By Professor John Robertson OBA From Public Health Scotland, today, 100% of patients referred for IVF treatment were seen within 52 weeks. Of these, 67.4% were seen within 26 weeks, 26.7% within 39 weeks.1 And from Fertility Scotland: Scotland … Continue reading Scotland’s unique free 100% target-busting IVF service, saving lives and the NHS millions, year after year but to absolutely no media recognition

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

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