Tag: scotland

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The 30 year-long neglect of patient safety in NHS England exposed as SNP Government records 17 years of its ‘at the very top pillar’ safety programme first launched by Nicola Sturgeon

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By Professor John Robertson Many thanks to Dotty’s Phone for alerting me to this. Today, the Health Editor at the Sunday Times has reported: Why don’t things get better on #patientsafety? One reason is that the NHS & government do sweet FA to act on inquiry recommendations. The @Thirlwall_Inq [led by a senior judge] has published a comprehensive assessment of the last 30 years of inquiries. It is not a good read: https://thirlwall.public-inquiry.uk/2024/05/17/review-of-previous-recommendations-published/ More from the thread following the above comments, at: https://x.com/ShaunLintern/status/1791508298404950168 The above report is getting very little coverage anywhere and certainly will not be used by Scotland’s … Continue reading The 30 year-long neglect of patient safety in NHS England exposed as SNP Government records 17 years of its ‘at the very top pillar’ safety programme first launched by Nicola Sturgeon

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Ferries out of service? 29% out of service in affluent Washington State and only 9% out of service in Scotland as Calmac continues at 99% on time

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By Professor John Robertson, Scotland’s only Ferry Correspondent who looks at other ferry services too. From King 5 Seattle today: Washington State Ferries (WSF) is preparing to see more than 300,000 passengers for Memorial Day Weekend, enough people to fill T-Mobile Park six times. This is the start of the busy summer season when the ferries see double the number of passengers as they do in the winter. This influx of people comes as the system struggles with a shortage of boats. Washington State Ferries has 21 boats in its fleet, but only 15 are in service currently. They need … Continue reading Ferries out of service? 29% out of service in affluent Washington State and only 9% out of service in Scotland as Calmac continues at 99% on time

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The power and influence of ‘facts’

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By stewartb I don’t watch BBC Question Time anymore. I do occasionally watch clips posted on social media when there is something specifically about Scotland – usually regretting my decision! Just watched a clip of Stephen Flynn on the latest episode striving hard to communicate facts and provide perspective in a discussion about the NHS in Scotland. Multiple individuals sitting at the ‘top table’ were intent on rubbishing his claims and I lost count of the number of times he was interrupted. Can’t permit a BBC audience to hear a coherent, reasoned rebuttal from an SNP MP! My wider point … Continue reading The power and influence of ‘facts’

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As BBC Scotland try to locate blame for the infected blood scandal IN Scotland, the facts speak of Labour’s incompetence and guilt

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Headlining on BBC Scotland today: The head of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has apologised to the thousands of victims in Scotland who were infected by HIV or Hepatitis C through NHS blood products. Though apologising, he claims, astonishingly: In Scotland, the vast majority of infections came from Scottish blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, the country was largely self-sufficient in blood products. In addition to having adequate local donations for the populations needs, the Protein Fractionation Centre in Edinburgh had the capacity to process blood plasma to manufacture treatments for haemophilia or certain forms of immune … Continue reading As BBC Scotland try to locate blame for the infected blood scandal IN Scotland, the facts speak of Labour’s incompetence and guilt

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‘UK’ Birth trauma report has evidence of a crisis only in England

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BY stewartb The report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the UK Parliament on birth trauma published today does of course address a really important topic. It merits and has received a lot of attention from the mainstream media: BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning gave it a lot of attention. My interest – as in the main blog post – is in the nature of the APPG’s process – its research scope, its evidence base and the nature of its recommendations. After listening to media reports and skimming through the final report, the following observation seem worth … Continue reading ‘UK’ Birth trauma report has evidence of a crisis only in England

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Industrial action to add days to 24 000 year clear-up of Scottish nuclear energy site and Scottish Labour want to extend that

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Proud GMB member and champion of nuclear energy, Labour candidate Alan Gemmell. From BBC Scotland today: More than 500 members of the Unite union at the Dounreay nuclear power complex have voted to strike in a dispute over pay. The workers, who will take action on Wednesday, have rejected the latest offer to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, the Prospect union said in a close ballot its members had voted to accept the deal, and the GMB union said the result of its vote was expected later but expected to back strike action. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5nnl9vjzeo While it is always disturbing to hear … Continue reading Industrial action to add days to 24 000 year clear-up of Scottish nuclear energy site and Scottish Labour want to extend that

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New BBC Scotland tactic – ‘numbing the senses of the nation with trivia’

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By stewartb The contributions to life in Scotland by the public service broadcaster, BBC Scotland are well known to TuS readers. Most readily analysed is its output appearing daily on the BBC News website: context-free, perspective-free news on economic and political matters; politicisation of public service issues to a degree unknown in the output of BBC Wales; an evident preference for negativity – candidly, gaslighting; and to reinforce this, a practice of bias by omission. All the foregoing is consistent with exerting influence in support for the Union. However, today on the Corporation’s News website we may be seeing a … Continue reading New BBC Scotland tactic – ‘numbing the senses of the nation with trivia’

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As CalMac averages over 99% reliability last week Peel Port’s blame for Arran problems is confirmed, problems pile up for ferry services elsewhere

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From the Scotsman, today: Claims by the owner of a harbour on CalMac’s busiest route that its poor condition is due to damage by the operator’s ferries have been rubbished by another ports firm which said the fleet had not harmed any of its own 26 harbours. Who owns Peel Ports? John Whittaker (born 14 March 1942) is a British billionaire. He is chairman of the Peel Group, a property business that mainly invests in North West England. According to The Sunday Times Rich List in 2019, Whittaker is worth £1.95 billion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Whittaker_(businessman) Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia (Canada): The ferry between Prince Edward Island and … Continue reading As CalMac averages over 99% reliability last week Peel Port’s blame for Arran problems is confirmed, problems pile up for ferry services elsewhere

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How grudging Guardian editorials on SNP leader have persuaded even my intelligent 70s Scottish-university educated friends that the SNP has failed

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By Professor John Robertson In the Guardian editorial on John Swinney, today: Scotland’s new first minister is an experienced and unflashy politician who can read the public mood. Almost everything that John Swinney has said and done since replacing Humza Yousaf this week shows he grasps the palpable wish – south of the border as well as north – for more effective government that is led by more sensible politicians who do not spend their time playing to the gallery. The question, after 17 years governing Scotland, is whether any SNP leader can now deliver this. Mr Swinney therefore owns Scotland’s current … Continue reading How grudging Guardian editorials on SNP leader have persuaded even my intelligent 70s Scottish-university educated friends that the SNP has failed

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Wake up Scotland….you are being played!

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By NMRN This was not just a Tory defection to Labour….this was a Natalie Elphicke Tory defection to Labour……. The Labour party , but mostly Starmer, have shot themselves in the foot here…… Plus Sarwar & co are currently canvassing in Scotland for his party for the next GE…..so would be odd , considering this defection is all over most of the UK media, if the media here in Scotland did not raise this questionable defection at HQ with the branch office manager…….. When I say “raise it with him” then I mean that they , the media, should be … Continue reading Wake up Scotland….you are being played!