Full Fact Investigates Viral Claims: NHS Lists, Easter Eggs and Hotel Rumours Debunked
This comprehensive roundup of fact checks has been compiled by Full Fact, the United Kingdom's largest independent fact-checking charity. The organisation is dedicated to identifying, exposing and countering the significant harms caused by misinformation circulating in public discourse.
Examining Claims About Scottish NHS Waiting Lists
In recent social media posts, Labour MP Gregor Poynton asserted that "one in six Scots are stuck on an NHS waiting list." However, Full Fact's investigation reveals this statistic lacks reliability and significantly overstates the actual situation.
The most accurate available estimates from Public Health Scotland indicate that approximately one in ten people in Scotland, equating to 578,804 individual patients, were on either an inpatient, day case or new outpatient waiting list as of the end of February. At the time Mr Poynton made his original claim, the available data suggested the figure was closer to one in nine Scots waiting for at least one of these three types of appointments.
Full Fact attempted to contact Mr Poynton for clarification but received no response. The claim appears to originate from calculations made by Scottish Labour, which has previously made identical assertions, alongside other MPs, MSPs and even Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Scottish Labour has explained that its figure was derived by combining waiting lists for inpatient and outpatient appointments with lists for eight key diagnostic tests. However, this methodology is fundamentally flawed because it fails to account for duplicate counting, as the same individual can be waiting for multiple different treatments or tests simultaneously.
The party has argued that Public Health Scotland's official estimate represents an undercount because it excludes patients awaiting various other NHS treatments, including diagnostic tests and other services. While it is true that the official figure does not encompass all possible waiting lists, Public Health Scotland's estimate remains the most reliable available because it specifically avoids the critical problem of double counting individuals. No comprehensive figures exist for how many unique individuals are on these broader waiting lists.
Cadbury Continues to Celebrate Easter on Chocolate Egg Packaging
Every spring, familiar but false claims resurface alleging that Cadbury has removed the word 'Easter' from its chocolate egg product range. These assertions are as inaccurate this year as they have been in previous seasons.
Posts widely shared on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have shown images of various Cadbury egg products on supermarket shelves where the word 'Easter' is not immediately visible. These posts have been shared thousands of times, amplifying the misconception. However, all three product varieties featured in these images—the 'Twirl', 'Creme Egg' and 'Buttons' shell eggs—clearly reference Easter on the top portion of their packaging.
A spokesperson for Mondelez International, Cadbury's parent company, provided a definitive statement to Full Fact: "Cadbury has used the word Easter in our marketing and communications for over 100 years and continues to do so with our new Easter product range. To claim anything otherwise is factually incorrect." This confirmation directly contradicts the viral misinformation.
Plymouth Hotel Rumours Regarding Asylum Seekers Are False
False claims have circulated extensively on Facebook alleging that a historic Plymouth hotel has closed for refurbishment specifically to house asylum seekers. Both the hotel management and local council authorities have explicitly confirmed these rumours are entirely without foundation.
In an official statement, the Duke of Cornwall Hotel clarified its situation: "We are temporarily closed to undertake an essential improvement project," with plans to reopen to guests during the summer season. The statement added a specific rebuttal: "In light of recent misinformation that's been shared online, we would like to confirm that there is no truth to the rumours about the hotel opening as an asylum hotel."
Plymouth City Council has similarly described the circulating claims as "fake news" and confirmed that "there are no hotels in the city, open or closed being prepped for this purpose." The council further noted that no hotels within Plymouth are currently being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Previously, the council stated on its official website that as of August 2025, asylum seekers in Plymouth were accommodated exclusively in privately rented "self-contained properties" such as flats and houses, not in hotel facilities. Full Fact contacted the social media account originally propagating the claim to request supporting evidence but received no response, further undermining the allegation's credibility.
