Tag: scottish-government

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Scotland’s cancer incidence level is much higher than the average in every part of world – SNP MP exposes likely cause in pollution from the most dangerous nuclear site in Europe

johnrobertson834

Apologies for posting and then quickly deleting this yesterday. I made a mistake with the stats and know from previous errors that one wee slip and all your other work is cast into doubt. I’m 72, on my own, still impulsive after all these years and breengin’ to the end. It’s sorted now. Two recent reports in the National (links below), by Ayr MP Allan Dorans, have exposed levels of radioactivity in seafood, other wildlife and in river estuary sediment, from the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria, described recently in the Guardian as ‘Europe’s most toxic nuclear site‘. These … Continue reading Scotland’s cancer incidence level is much higher than the average in every part of world – SNP MP exposes likely cause in pollution from the most dangerous nuclear site in Europe

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NHS Scotland is far better staffed and is returning to pre-pandemic treatment levels but this IFS twit can’t even do basic arithmetic!

johnrobertson834

Straight after we hear that Neil Grey is ‘facing‘ his first day as Health Secretary, Reporting Scotland at 06:27am: It comes as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the NHS is handling fewer patients – including 21% fewer elective in-patients – but costing more. A Scottish Government spokesperson said they remain committed to reducing waits for planned and emergency care. Then from Max, above: I think this should be one of the highest priorities for the new health secretary. NHS and health spending is one of the largest fings (sic) the Scottish Government or most governments do and when you … Continue reading NHS Scotland is far better staffed and is returning to pre-pandemic treatment levels but this IFS twit can’t even do basic arithmetic!

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NHS Scotland does 97% of ops on time

johnrobertson834

From Public Health Scotland, today: In the quarter ending December 2023, there were 20,837 operations planned to take place across NHS Scotland. Only 515 (2.5%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons. From Public Health Scotland a year ago: In the quarter ending December 2022, the total number of planned operations across NHS Scotland during December 2022 was 17,269. This represents a decrease of 19.1% from 21,336 in November 2022 but is 14.6% higher than the number planned in December 2021. 493 (2.9%) were cancelled by the hospital due to capacity or non-clinical reasons. From these data, … Continue reading NHS Scotland does 97% of ops on time

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How Labour’s plan for small business has been at the heart of the SNP legislation for years

johnrobertson834

Not for the first Labour advisers reveal their ignorance of what is already happening in Scotland as they come up to tell us about their supah new ideas to find we already have the same or better. Here’s what they claim and what they plan, responded to one-by-one. “The Labour Party knows the value of small businesses; you are not just the lifeblood of our communities but essential to our economic success. That is why we have launched an ambitious plan to support small businesses.” “The Scottish Government regrets any delays in payments to suppliers and our performance in paying 98.8% … Continue reading How Labour’s plan for small business has been at the heart of the SNP legislation for years

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English health expert on BBC 4 today – ‘Scotland has much better uptake of immunisation, better identification of children with complex needs and disabilities, better breast feeding rates’

johnrobertson834

On BBC 4 this morning but nowhere on BBC Scotland, this: 1 in 4 children in England was NOT seeing a health visitor by the time they turned one…..Alison Morton is the Chief Executive of the Institute of Health Visiting…..40% cut in workforce [in England]….Is it particularly an England problem in that Scotland provides 11 health visits and Wales 9?…. knock on consequences into other services…soaring rates of A&E attendances. The younger ones are the highest users of A&E. The rate has increased by 42% in the last 10 years in England, whereas in Scotland, they don’t have this problem because … Continue reading English health expert on BBC 4 today – ‘Scotland has much better uptake of immunisation, better identification of children with complex needs and disabilities, better breast feeding rates’

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The Covid Inquiry evidence unreported by BBC Scotland – can ‘bias by omission’ get any worse? 

johnrobertson834

By stewartb ‘An important feature of the pandemic response of the Scottish Government was a pre-existing culture of professionalism, engagement, and collaboration, which, in the Covid-19 pandemic translated into a willingness to look outside of government for advice and expertise.’  On Scottish Government actions: ’Rather than divergence demonstrating political opportunism, it reflected better decision-making processes including more effective and meaningful consultation with others, and an appropriately precautionary approach to pandemic response.’ TUC/STUC submission to UK Covid 19 Inquiry (10 January 2024) By stewartb – a long read Already a lot of evidence concerning Scotland has been accumulated by the UK … Continue reading The Covid Inquiry evidence unreported by BBC Scotland – can ‘bias by omission’ get any worse? 

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Covid Inquiry – Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands contrary to Prof Woolhouse’s wrong views

johnrobertson834

In the Herald today: The Scottish Government ignored its own scientific advice not to close schools during the second Covid wave of 2021, the UK inquiry into the pandemic has heard.   Mark Woolhouse, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said that the decision to shut classrooms across Scotland was “not necessary” and did not contribute to halting the spread of the virus.   Woolhouse, as far as I can see, was only one of the 20 advisors on the Scottish Government COVID-19 Advisory Group. I’m not aware of this group advising against school closures. Prof Sridhar was … Continue reading Covid Inquiry – Scottish ministers closed schools and saved thousands contrary to Prof Woolhouse’s wrong views

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The Campaign to blame the SNP for Covid deaths contrary to the facts is underway

johnrobertson834

When the otherwise excellent Open Democracy seems to have swallowed the myth, much loved by Anas Sarwar, that Covid 19 deaths in care homes were the result of hospital discharges of untested patients into them, you know the campaign to turn around the story of Scotland’s better pandemic performance, is well on the way. Yesterday, they had: Care home deaths soared as Holyrood took two months to introduce testing for outgoing hospital patients, inquiry hears. Donald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents the country’s independent social care sector, said he warned the then-secretary for health and sport, … Continue reading The Campaign to blame the SNP for Covid deaths contrary to the facts is underway

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Why the Barnett Formula is not a subsidy for Scotland

johnrobertson834

Leah Gunn Barrett The Barnett Formula is not a subsidy. To understand why it’s not, we need to understand the formula. Scottish public sector revenues are sent annually to the UK Treasury. Every five years there’s a spending review that decides England’s budget and then the Barnett Formula is applied. The formula gives Scotland the same revenue per person change in funding as the change in funding for similar English public services. From that, the UK Treasury allocates the Scottish government its block grant out of which it must fund the services for which it’s responsible. But the block grant … Continue reading Why the Barnett Formula is not a subsidy for Scotland

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Associating all problems with the SNP in government – Reporting Scotland’s subtle [not so] agenda on obesity

johnrobertson834

This morning in a short teaser for their pals at Disclosure Scotland who will be, later tonight, doing a special on obesity, Reporting Scotland find time for the above little bookend comment implying responsibility. In the longer online report, there is no mention of the Scottish Government. Regardless of whether it is conscious propaganda or a subconscious tendency, the longer term impact on viewers is the association of the Scottish Government with another problem that they are not directly responsible for and an association of a kind which BBC England, Wales and Northern Ireland rarely make with their governments. A … Continue reading Associating all problems with the SNP in government – Reporting Scotland’s subtle [not so] agenda on obesity