Talking-up Scotland

The Crisis chief executive and chair of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG), says that much progress has been made in the last year or so. Reported in Scottish Housing News, today:

‘Last week’s seminal debate at Holyrood and the publication of the Scottish Government Action Plan puts Scotland firmly at the forefront of committing to an end to homelessness. Among the many commitments in the Plan, there is now an agreement from the government to bring forward a legislative change to time limit stays in unsuitable emergency accommodation for all homeless people in the next parliamentary year, a legal change that Crisis in Scotland has been actively campaigning on. This action plan is a blueprint to make real and lasting change across Scotland, not only in ending homelessness but in tackling poverty and inequality and improving joined-up working across government departments and public bodies.’

http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/25112/blog-ending-homelessness-together-in-the-scottish-parliament/

This comes after earlier evidence of progress reported here:

Damning report on Scotsman headline about homeless children

As the number of the employed yet homeless soars in Southern England it is falling and much lower in Scotland

As Scotland fights to eliminate homelessness, in England, it soars, hundreds are fined and imprisoned and others are cleansed from the streets of Windsor’s royal wedding streets.

SNP Government to fund frontline efforts to help hardcore of street homeless while Ruth Davidson goes from baking show to celebrity list membership games and our media rats sniff the sewer air for SNP-bad aroma

As Windsor Council calls on police to clear the homeless from its streets before the royal wedding, Scottish Government gives £328 000 to reduce rough sleeping this winter

The world’s biggest sleep-out raises £3.6 million and 475 homes are allocated to homeless people in Central Scotland

Could Scotland end homelessness?

Homelessness falls in Scotland as it rises in England, mainly driven by heartless Tory welfare reforms

Becoming a better kinder country? ‘Quantifying kindness public engagement and place: Experiences of people in the UK and Ireland’

 

In the Independent today:

‘Millions of patients could lose their GP surgery within the next 12 months as factors such as stress contribute to a shortage of doctors, a new study has warned. More than 350 practices in England alone could face closure within a year as doctors quit the profession over working conditions, according to a new survey by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RSGP). In its study of 1,094 doctors across England, the RSGP found almost a third said they would not be working in general practice in five years, with stress and retirement cited as the most common reasons.’

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/doctor-shortages-nhs-gp-surgery-closed-england-figures-number-stress-a8663536.html

The Scottish Sun has gone for the deceptively stupid solution of just pretending that they think the English study applies to Scotland too:

Not for the first time we see a lack of coordination in the propaganda units north and south of the border as they struggle to attack their different prime targets, the UK Tory government and Scottish SNP government with the same story. In some cases, the BBC in England has used NHS Scotland’s superior performance to attack the Tories failing to realise or perhaps not caring that this will then undermine their wee colleagues in Scotland.

Though not impossible, BBC Scotland will find it difficult to evidence problems in GP supply or performance in Scotland, given clear evidence to the contrary in these:

Scottish GP vacancy rate now only one -third of that in non-Scottish parts of UK

In the Scotsman today, 93% of Scottish patients get appointment with GP within 2 days!

They may have to resort to just telling a big porkie, once more.

 

 

 

 Tonight at 8.30, on BBC wales and on BBC Scotland, we get a chance to see what our two courageous teams of investigative reporters have been literally risking life and limb on.

BBC Wales have exposed the secret mountain village location of a cell of violent thugs whom the Home Office wants to ban.

BBC Scotland’s team, fresh from following the wrong lorry of calves to Spain, have taken considerable risks by accessing the online waiting list target data from the SNP’s Nazi-like Information Services Division and then by covert activity among deviant subcultures such as the Killcreggan line-dancing group in lawless Argyll.

Lisa Summers begs for her life after being taken hostage by the Kilwinning Loyal Ice Skating Under 12s

At the time of writing, two of the Wales Investigates team are in intensive care and BBC Scotland’s Disclosure Operative, Lisa Summers, has had to go to bed after the gang leader from Killcreggan made her do line-dancing until she got it right.

 

 

 

‘Behind each statistic on NHS lists is a person living with the pain and the anxiety of waiting’.

Now remember that. Don’t forget them. Don’t go off today, living your life, ignorant of these facts. We’ve chosen these images of suffering because we think it’s important that you know about them and that you let them form a major element in what you agree is socially real. It’s in the public interest as we define it. So, remember, ‘pain’, ‘anxiety’, waiting.’ Our ‘Disclosure Team’ has risked life and limb to expose this suffering and you can hear all about it tonight on Disclosure: Life on the NHS List!

Of course, behind some statistics on NHS performance is a person living now without pain and anxiety or even a person living who might otherwise not be. Remember, when targets are missed, this can still mean that up to 90% of those people were treated within the target time and crucially are now living free of pain.

Which of the above is more important information for you in forming a reasonably accurate sense of social reality so that you can then think, feel and behave in a way that is also reasonably well-matched to the world in which you must operate?

As newspaper readership plummets, TV news becomes by far the dominant source of news for most of the middle-aged and elderly in Scotland. Some of these and most of the younger people benefit from the more diverse, controllable and often healthily contrarian, information flows, through social media and, at the same time, from access to mainstream media of a more global nature online.

Now, I’m not going to talk of the media ‘constructing’ reality because the word can suggest ‘making up’ reality. The social scientists first using the term ‘construction’ did not, of course mean it in that way, but to avoid accusations of paranoia from the usual suspects at BBC Scotland, I’ll use the term ‘agreeing’ based on this:

‘The media can act as a socializing agent by constructing reality and then disseminating this reality to the mass public. The “social” element comes into play when upon receiving the media’s “reality” message, the vast majority agree upon this reality and accept it. Following this pattern, social construction may be more appropriately referred to as social agreement of reality. The term construction seems to imply that the media is “making-up” or “creating” reality. While some would agree with the previous statement, I believe to spout such an assertion is ludicrous because the media often must report issues that are simply a matter of operating by typical journalist guidelines/standards. Someone must make decisions concerning what information passes on to the public. Should this be a government responsibility or the responsibility of individuals who have a real desire to be in the industry and have studied the industry? While it is easy to sit back and criticize the media, they are providing a necessary function to society and individuals need this function (i.e., information providing).’

http://www.stephen.pollock.name/writings/res/socialconstruction.html

I’m going to argue here that a group of individuals at BBC Scotland are making decisions leading to distortion of reality with damaging consequences for wider public health and for democratic engagement, despite having the guidance of a royal charter to make them ‘responsible’ and to ‘inform’ having, presumably, studied the industry at an academic level.

I can’t of course complete this until I’ve seen it, but I can lay out a methodology that will reliably assess its quality as ‘responsible’ journalism to inform the process of reality agreement among its viewers.

Did Disclosure: Life on the NHS List:

1. help me understand what it feels like to wait longer than I should have to for treatment?
2. include examples of people who had been treated within the target times?
3. inform me how common it is to wait longer than the target times?
4. inform of reasons me why target times are not being met such as increased demand?
5. explain any problems with interpreting waiting time statistics?
6. give a balanced account based on all of the above?

I’ll be delighted to be proved wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

Ross discovers it’s not always better together

The YouGov poll, with data collected on 26-27 November, suggests a real surge in support for the SNP but it’s only a sub-poll of 149 adult Scots so not reliable. However, if it is indicative of something and it might be, what do we get?

• SNP      46%
• Con      22%
• Lab      17%
• LD        7%

What that would mean in terms of seats is not certain but 50% of the vote gave 56 seats in 2015, so 46% should get more than 50. This is also before any campaigning and before further Westminster farce.

Now imagine the Catalans got that kind of dominance. They’d be ‘Adiós España y hasta pronto’ (in Catalan of course). Time to put it in the manifesto for the next one?

There is a downside in that Ross Thompson would almost certainly lose. He has been a good servant to the SNP, working tirelessly to present Tory MSPs as a useless bunch of bankers. He’ll be missed.

There is also interesting evidence in this sub-poll of differences between Scotland and the rest, suggesting greater contentment with some importance of aspects of life, after 10 years of SNP policies. For example, the perceived importance of crime was the lowest in Scotland at 13% as opposed to 32% in London and only 9% of Scots thought that housing was an important issue facing the country as opposed to 28% in London. These results confirm earlier and larger polls:

Are Scots less concerned about crime not just because there is less but also because they are learning not to trust media distortion?

92% of Scots happy with their housing!

https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/fv1c5v409t/TheTimes_181127_BrexitDeal_VI_Trackers_bpc_w.pdf

Live in the now.

Should I be flattered? In a rare communication since his former boss tried to have me sacked, a BBC Reporting Scotland reporter has had a go at responding to my recent piece on how a BMA study undermines their agenda on NHS targets. Here’s the TuS report:

Reporting Scotland’s obsession with NHS targets undermined by BMA study

Here’s one of Stewart’s three tweets in response:

Taking this as evidence of a principled position by our state broadcaster, why did they, then, miss one of the targets which NHS Scotland had met 100% and for the fifth year in succession? Could that be suppression of information?

Here is the one they conveniently missed:

The target is for 90% of patients to be screened within 365 days of receipt oi referral. Demand for the screening had gone up 5.36% since the last quarter yet 100% were screened within 365 days. The target has been met since in was first measured in 2015.

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/Publications/2018-11-27/2018-11-27-IVF-Summary.pdf?40063112975

This is a quite significant and newsworthy target given that its failure to be met in England has had wider and shocking consequences for corruption in the NHS, benefiting the private sector and politicians and for related mental health conditions. See:

IVF failures create knock-on effects in women’s mental health

Failing to treat infertility can result in problems and further costs for the NHS in other areas. A Danish study of 98 737 women, between 1973 and 2003, showed that women who were unable to have children were 47% more likely to be hospitalised for schizophrenia and had a significantly higher risk of subsequent drug and alcohol abuse. See this:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22020-infertility-may-increase-risk-of-mental-disorders/

IVF in England has become a licence to print money.

As we tumble toward a hard Brexit and trade deals with the USA allowing the private sector into the heart of the NHS, we can see how things will work out in the already privatised IVF service in England and contrast it with the state-controlled and regulated version, in Scotland. See this from the Guardian today:

‘Private fertility clinics routinely try to sell desperate patients add-ons that almost certainly don’t help – why isn’t more done to monitor the industry?  Around three-quarters of all IVF cycles fail. And results vary with age. Figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) published in March state the average live birth-rate for each fresh embryo transferred for women of all ages is 21%; for those aged under 35, it is 29% – the highest it has ever been. For older women, the picture is bleaker: 10% for women aged 40-42, for example. IVF is expensive. And what makes it worse, says Hugh Risebrow, the report’s author, is the lack of pricing transparency. “The headline prices quoted may be, say, £3,500, but you end up with a bill of £7,000,” he says. “This is because there are things not included that you need – and then things that are offered but are not evidence-based.”’

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jun/18/how-ivf-became-a-licence-to-print-money

IVF in England has created opportunities for the private sector

In Tory-run NHS England, only 12% of boards offer three full cycles in line with official guidance. 61% offer only one cycle of treatment and 4% offer none at all. Private treatment costs between £1 343 and £5 788 per cycle.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/ivf-nhs-treatment-fertility-lists-wait-patients-lottery-budget-cuts-a8028116.html

Why some UK politicians would like more privatisation in the NHS

There are 64 Tory and Labour (New) MPs with ‘links’ to private health care. Why would we trust them to protect the NHS? See this:

https://defendournhsyork.wordpress.com/2017/02/14/selling-off-nhs-for-profit-full-list-of-mps-with-links-to-private-healthcare-firms/

Perhaps Stewart could pass this to the BBC Scotland Disclosure Team to investigate?

For more, see:

A kinder and wiser approach to IVF treatment in Scotland: Meeting targets and reducing mental health complications

A warning for Scotland’s 100% IVF post-Brexit: How moneygrubbing Tory IVF policies are creating massive distress now in England

IVF treatment in Scotland above target at 100% for more than 3 years, as only 12% of English boards offer the full treatment, triggering consequent mental health costs

 

FSB spokesman at Wigmore Hall in Wigtown

In March this year, Insider reported:

‘New rates changes coming into force in April will help stimulate the economy and improve transparency, the Scottish Government has said. From 1 April, there will be no business rates for unoccupied new properties and tenants who take them on will be rates-free for the first year. Where properties are improved, they will not pay any additional rates as a result of the improvement for 12 months.’

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/new-business-rates-scottish-government-12279237

These changes were unique to Scotland and seem likely to have contributed to growing business confidence here.

In Insider today:

‘Latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland found confidence increased to 11% in November, up 4% from previous month. Bottom of FormFirms’ confidence in their own business prospects also rose, increasing to 22% compared with 18% a month ago. When asked if Scottish businesses felt optimistic or pessimistic about the economy generally, firms were evenly split with a net balance of 0%, although this was an improvement on the previous month when a net balance of nine per cent described themselves as pessimistic.’

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/bank-of-scotland-business-barometer-13663689

Is this a flash in the pan or evidence of a wider robustness in the Scottish economy after ten years of SNP government? See these from, only, as far back as July 2018:

Economic contribution of Scottish women-owned businesses grows by nearly twice the rate of UK

Another case in the real story of Scotland’s economy: Big business failures in Scotland fall by 25%’

Scottish business confidence well above UK average

SNP blamed as private businesses experience too much demand and overcrowding with new staff second only to Labour-mayored London.

SNP accused of standing-back as business confidence slumps to 15-month low in non-Scottish parts of the UK

Scottish business confidence stays high…Ah but!..Oh shut up Revoking Scotland!

63% fall in large business insolvencies as Scottish economy reveals strength

Massive Fraseresque ‘BUTLIST’ from BBC Scotland to downplay business success

See this Douglas? Business investment in Scotland up 250%!

There’s more, much more, if you search this blog for ‘business’ and have time to go back further.

In that neo-Marxist Nationalist rag, often rejected by our state broadcaster, Insider, yesterday:

‘Firms with fewer than 50 employees sustain up to seven in ten private sector jobs in parts of Scotland, according to new figures from the Federation of Small Businesses. FSB Scotland’s research found small business employment is proportionately highest in the Orkney Islands, the Western Isles, Shetland, the Borders and Argyll & Bute. In these areas smaller firms generate at least half of private sector jobs. But the statistics also found that nearly 80,000 people are employed by small businesses in Glasgow – more than in any other council area. Edinburgh follows closely behind with more than 72,300.’

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/small-businesses-fsb-scotland-jobs-13662771

A plausible explanation for the above, at least in part, lies in Scottish Government efforts to supports SMEs here.

First, the Scottish Government reported on October 31^st2017, that a record number of SMEs had benefited from the expanded Small Business Bonus rates scheme in 2016/17. 104,000 SMEs qualified for relief under the scheme reducing or removing rates bills. In many cases very small businesses had their rates bill removed entirely.

Second, the Scottish Government has ensured that 50% of public sector spend has gone to small businesses in contrast to the UK level of only 19%

Scottish small businesses still more confident than those in non-Scottish parts

Scottish small businesses confidence at four-year-high

‘Gales of creative destruction’ as Scottish small businesses get 50% of public sector spend? In the ‘UK’, it’s only 19%

 

Before I’m accused of over-stating things with the above headline claim, let me dig myself an even bigger hole – the first Scottish Enlightenment wasn’t that great anyway. We had lots of nice books and stimulating chats in Edinburgh hostelries but for the mass of Scots, only grinding poverty, clearance from the land, death and mutilation in imperial wars, disease and political powerlessness. The last ten years, I’d say, have seen many small changes combining to make things better for many of us, materially and emotionally. So….

As England’s poor, disabled and sick, twist in the wind of the former home secretary’s hostile environment and its storm of welfare and policing cuts, something is happening in Scotland even though we can step only partly out of her deadly embrace.

This isn’t an analytical treatise arguing for Scotland seeming to be becoming a better country. It’s a gentle shower of data which I think collects in the mind to suggest that something is happening here which we can begin to celebrate.

The causes will be, of course, ahem, multifactorial. While more humane, health as opposed to crime-focused, policies must take credit, many other factors will have played a part. In particular, with regard to falling crime, the distracting effect of home-based, interactive media has surely taken younger people ‘off the streets’ reducing the opportunities and motivations for crime. More controversially, the longer-term impact of the reduction of lead pollution in the environment has been associated with falling crime.

So, here are the data. Just look at them and let them form a shape as they will in your mind. There are 1 959 posts in this blog so if you need more, try searching for whatever topic interests you.

 

Well?

© CHAP

Aberdeen’s second hydrogen refuelling station opened on Tuesday. The city now has a station in the north and in the south of the city which can now refuel buses, vans and cars despite the differing pressure required for each.

Aberdeen already has Europe’s largest hydrogen bus fleet with 20 vehicles.

For more on hydrogen power in Scotland, see:

1.      World’s first renewables-powered hydrogen ferry to be built in Port Glasgow

2.      ‘More on hydrogen buses’ by reader Alasdair Macdonald and further comment by Broadbield

3.      Aberdeen 20: Dundee 12? The competition for Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses

4.      Scotland’s cities ally to exploit hydrogen-based technologies. Scotland’s Unionist media ally to ignore it

5.      Europe’s biggest hydrogen-powered bus fleet and now the UK’s biggest hydrogen cell installation are both in Scotland

6.      Europe’s largest fleet of hydrogen-fuelled buses is in Aberdeen

7.      Scottish Government-funded, pioneering hydrogen fuel cell opened in Orkney

8.      MAJOR NEWS: World’s first tidal-powered hydrogen generated in Scotland after £3 million funding from SNP Government