From Brian McGowan:
We are continually tempted to compare Scotland’s management of the Corona Virus outbreak with England’s. People are dying daily, and it may seem like an attempt to score points, but comparisons are often valuable in deciding how to make your own personal judgements.
The recruitment drive for additional health staff in both countries creates a contrasting picture.
For example, Scotland‘s biggest Health Board – Greater Glasgow & Clyde – has recently recruited a further 2545 staff to support its efforts to combat the effects of the virus.
This from Ann McPherson, HR Director for NHSGGC:
The 2,545 number is formed of a broad pool of talent which includes brand new starters, as well as retired staff returning to the frontline, final year medical students and those returning to the service with previous healthcare experience. Many workers will join immediately, with the rest creating a bank of qualified professionals to be called on as and when required.
Note that all 2545 people have been recruited directly into NHS Scotland.
In contrast, the Sun reported that in England, on 22 March, “The NHS struck a deal with private hospitals”.
(https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11191346/nhs-beds-staff-private-hospitals-coronavirus/ )
Reasonable to assume then that UK taxpayers’ money will be used to pay Private Contractors.
Again, on 23 March, The Nursing Times reported that a “a deal had been made between NHS England and the independent (ie private) sector to allow for an additional 10,000 nurses to join the Health service response to Covid 19”.
Once again, reasonable to assume that UK taxpayers’ money will be used to pay Private Contractors.
And in fact, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak has recently promised to give the English NHS “whatever it needs” (Sky News 8 March).
It’s currently impossible to quantify just how much that will be, but what we can be certain of is that significant contracts, worth hundreds of millions will now be going from the tax-payers pocket onto the balance sheet of the Private Sector in England.
Who’s to say this is not the thin end of the wedge?
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
I wonder how many of the 10,000 new nurses will be “retainers”, (nurses persuaded not to leave…)? Remember the tories have form here… Or maybe some of the 10,000 will be nurses who have been persuaded not to die from Bovid 19 thus boosting numbers in the service? (‘cos they clearly are not managing this particular drain on numbers by TESTING, or provision of PPE).
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Of course, it is a ‘fact’ that ‘private enterprise’ is more ‘efficient’ than public services which are ‘tangled in red tape’. They always provide ‘cheaper’ services, even though the public purse has to pay more, and, of course, they are ‘lean and innovative’ unlike the ‘feather-bedded’ public services such as university and NHS labs where research and testing is carried out by people mainly taught if local schools.
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