Tag: scotland

6 Comments

Why is type 2 diabetes among under 40s far less common and increasing less steeply in Scotland?

johnrobertson834

Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this; In the Guardian today, the above graph and: The number of people under 40 being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK has risen 39% in six years, fuelled by soaring obesity levels and cheap junk food. Look at the dark bar for Scotland and imagine it 10 times thicker, for comparison with a country ten times more populous, and it’s barely half as thick. Does that suggest type 2 diabetes is only half as common in Scotland than it is in England? There are no separate data on the under … Continue reading Why is type 2 diabetes among under 40s far less common and increasing less steeply in Scotland?

3 Comments

Covid – top UK Civil Servant and Boris adviser – ‘Nicola Sturgeon showing them how to do it’

johnrobertson834

Dr Simon Case, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service under Boris Johnson PM at the Covid Inquiry today. By Professor John Robertson An extract from an exchange between Case and Helen Macnamara, his Depute, in 2020: Are we surprised? From May 2020 While Scotland’s 35% lower fatality rate will be explained by multiple factors, the decision in 2008, to axe outsourced cleaning and to increase the number of cleaners, by Nicola Sturgeon, then Health Secretary, seems likely to have been a major factor. What happened: (May 2011) In the 1980s, the Thatcher government in the UK introduced compulsory … Continue reading Covid – top UK Civil Servant and Boris adviser – ‘Nicola Sturgeon showing them how to do it’

Leave a comment

Nearly three times as many employee owned businesses per head in Scotland than in England or in Labour Wales

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson Across the board, from health, through education and crime, Labour has made an asyn of running Wales, generally blaming the UK for all its ills. Today, Scottish Enterprise was able to announce: Latest figures show there are currently 286 EOBs operating in Scotland – up from 195 in 2022 – comprised of 177 Scottish-registered EOBs, 25 Scottish-registered workers’ cooperatives and 84 EOBs. At the last published count, in June 2023, there were 63 EOBs in Wales. Wales has 58% of Scotland’s population, so all things being equal, might be expected to have around 58% of Scotland’s … Continue reading Nearly three times as many employee owned businesses per head in Scotland than in England or in Labour Wales

2 Comments

FACTCHECK – The SIX key NHS waiting lists which are shorter, sometimes only half as long, in Scotland

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson Important note for some readers – England has 10 times the population so to be fair to them, where they are not already in the form of percentages, I’ve divided their waiting lists by 10. All sources below. In April 2024, the waiting list for cardiac (heart) surgery in England [i] was almost twice as long as in Scotland.[ii] In April 2024, the overall waiting list for all procedures in England [iii] was almost twice as long as in Scotland.[iv] In March 2024, 8% of patients waited more than 12 hours in A&E. In England it … Continue reading FACTCHECK – The SIX key NHS waiting lists which are shorter, sometimes only half as long, in Scotland

22 Comments

The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson On May 17th, the head of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) apologised to the thousands of victims in Scotland who were infected by HIV or Hepatitis C through NHS blood products. While I understand why he made that apology on behalf of the SNBTS and the victims fully deserve an apology, even if it’s nearly 50 years late, it’s not really those working for the blood transfusion service, 50 years ago or now, who should be apologising. According to the Guardian, the commercial blood product Koate, given to haemophiliacs across the UK in the … Continue reading The largely untold story of how Labour failed to protect Scots haemophiliacs from infected blood!

12 Comments

Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson They did something comparably thick when they promised to increase GP appointments and, when you worked out Scotland’s 8% share, it was a less than a half of 1% increase. Here it’s a whopping £1.8 billion ‘Scotland’s facilities will benefit from‘ so, 8% for us, £144 million. The new Stornoway harbour alone, just completed and paid for by the Scottish Government, cost £60 million. Gee I wonder how much the Scottish Government has already committed to in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26 : Energy and Manufacturing? Heat Network Fund – £300 million Low Carbon … Continue reading Another ‘big’ Labour election promise worth titchy amount as Scotland’s share and might improve only 2 or 3 harbours

4 Comments

Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

johnrobertson834

According to the Guardian in April 2024, cheap infected blood products based on blood from Arkansas prisoners began to be used across the UK after the Labour Government, in 1976, signed the deal, despite warnings from experts. Today, BBC Scotland repeats: One area where Scotland differed from the rest of the UK is that the vast majority of infections came from its own blood donations. In the 1970s and 80s, the country was largely self-sufficient in blood products. and you have to read on to find: Although most of the blood used in Scotland was from Scottish donations, the exception … Continue reading Scottish Labour and the Glasgow Yorkhill infected blood scandal

Leave a comment

Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

johnrobertson834

By Professor John Robertson The broadcasts today don’t mention this and you have to read down to the bottom of this BBC Scotland report to find this: Scotland was the first part of the UK to commission a public inquiry into infected blood. It had been a key election pledge of the SNP government when it came to power in 2007, and was carried out by Scottish judge Lord Penrose. But the Penrose inquiry lacked the full statutory powers to compel witnesses from outside of Scotland to give evidence, and until 1999 health policy had been controlled by Westminster. Campaigner … Continue reading Blood scandal – SNP inquiry in 2007, first in UK, led to better support system than in rest of UK

Leave a comment

Oz taxpayers pay for new wharves but must wait years for ferries in latest fiasco

johnrobertson834

From the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday: Taxpayers have spent $78 million for two soon-to-be-opened ferry wharves near the entrance to Sydney’s Botany Bay, but the public faces a years-long wait for services between La Perouse and Kurnell because of state government indecision. and from the Leader: Transport Minister Jo Haylen and Coordinator General, Transport for NSW, Howard Collins were grilled by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP Mark Banasiak, who said it had “always been a dog of a project” and was “the epitome of white elephants”. Meanwhile in Scotland: By Professor John Robertson From the Scottish Government today and, of … Continue reading Oz taxpayers pay for new wharves but must wait years for ferries in latest fiasco

5 Comments

Edinburgh’s loss making trams project was forced on the SNP minority government by the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems and now they want to shift the blame

johnrobertson834

In the Scotsman, last week: The Edinburgh Trams have made a net loss of more than £44 million since opening ten years ago, figures have revealed, mainly due to borrowing costs associated with building the original line. Coming in at over £400m over budget and three years late, the capital’s trams have not run a profit since 2017. Sue Webber, Conservative MSP for the Lothian region, said: “These eye-watering losses only add insult to injury for those living and working in the capital. They already had to endure the construction bill for the trams spiralling out of control and reaching over £1 billion. There … Continue reading Edinburgh’s loss making trams project was forced on the SNP minority government by the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems and now they want to shift the blame