Research reveals increasing mental health referrals among children may be more due to a greater readiness to come forward and to coding changes than to an actual increase in depression and anxiety and casts Daily Record reporting as ill-informed and exploitative

The dominant narrative across the media operating in Scotland, the opposition parties and a few parents groomed by them, is, as in the Daily Record headline above, on 20 April 2026. Often ignored are these facts: From Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times Quarter ending March 2026 published today, the above graph showing the 90% target beaten for 6 quarters (3 months) in a row, and: 91.2% of people started treatment within 18 weeks of referral, which is an increase from 90.0% for the previous quarter. 3,858 people started treatment in CAMHS. This is an increase of 2.4% (91) from the 3,767 starting … Continue reading Research reveals increasing mental health referrals among children may be more due to a greater readiness to come forward and to coding changes than to an actual increase in depression and anxiety and casts Daily Record reporting as ill-informed and exploitative

STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

but today brought some positive news. The Children’s Mental Health waiting time target has been met for the first time in its 10 year history. By Professor John Robertson OBA STV last night opened with the above. After some time with the minister we see a long interview, right to the end, with Dr Becky Howie, a private sector consultant, with her own business – maldodlife.co.uk – to hear: and to doubt the validity of the stats, all on her own commercial self. Why has STV not asked someone at the frontline in NHS Scotland? Also, why has STV not … Continue reading STV’s shameless failure to report accurately or fairly on children’s mental health waiting times and reliance on one private consultant for opinion

Reddit now bigger than x so important for Independence debate

According to the Guardian today: Reddit, the American online discussion platform, has overtaken X to become the fifth most popular social media platform in the UK, according to the communications watchdog. Ofcom said Reddit, where users post on discussion threads within topic-based communities, was visited by 22.9 million UK adults in May this year, compared with 22.1 million on X. The figures make Reddit the fastest-growing large social media platform in the UK and represent a growth of 47% on the same period in 2023 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/nov/28/reddit-overtakes-x-in-popularity-of-social-media-platforms-in-uk Readers may remember that I was banned from rScotland, in 2023, for repeatedly posting … Continue reading Reddit now bigger than x so important for Independence debate

Deleted WhatsApp messages – ‘Don’t swallow the state-sponsored propaganda spin of half truths and innuendo!!’

Thanks to Morag Giblin for sharing this with me and to Lorraine from Blackburn, West Lothian. Lorraine writes in Facebook: Don’t swallow the state sponsored propaganda spin of half truths and innuendo!!! – Yes ‘Whatsapp’ messages were deleted, but that is only half the story, spun to make it look as sinister in Scotland as it was in England. THERE IS NO COMPARISON! The First minister has already stated previously that the Scottish Government do not habitually use that or any other non-approved app. They follow the traditional rule of thumb (it works) – those who are in a habit … Continue reading Deleted WhatsApp messages – ‘Don’t swallow the state-sponsored propaganda spin of half truths and innuendo!!’