Since the middle of September, Covid hospitalisations have been climbing fast in England and Wales but are stable in Scotland. The rate in England pro rata, is around 25% higher and in Wales, around 30% higher.
Intensive care cases have been climbing too, in England and Wales, but not in Scotland. The rate in England is dramatically higher at more than twice, pro rata. In Wales, with only just over half the population, they have or have had as many, if not more, ICU cases as Scotland.
What could be causing these life-critical differences?
Scotland has 50% more nurses, 15% more consultants and 50% more beds than England?
Scotland has and has clearer and more consistent messaging from government and so, higher compliance with policy?
Scotland has no hospitals in special measures?
Scotland has had a more complete vaccination coverage?
Anything I’ve missed?
Talking-up Scotland 
I take no joy from Scotland being ‘better’ than anywhere in an illness-related metric – whether better than England or the poorest country in the world.
It would be best, by far, if we were all in similar circumstances and that those ‘circumstances’ were as good as the aggregate global wealth and the aggregate of scientific/medical knowledge and know-how could deliver.
But of course the point in this and other TuS’ posts is to counter the crass UK Unionist position that depends on maintaining a ‘perspective void’ in order to gaslight Scotland’s population.
Is Scotland and its public services perfect? Certainly not! Is Scotland and its public services exceptionally ‘bad’ – in comparison to the rUK or to international peers? Of course – based on abundant, authoritative sources of evidence – they are NOT! And they are NOT despite the limited agency of our Scottish government!
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The official guidance in Scotland is for mask wearing in hospitals and other health care settings and certainly there seems to be high compliance with these guidelines by staff and patients/visitors.
I might wish that staff had been given something better than the blue masks but the fact they are masked at all is a plus. In England hospitals mask wearing was effectively stopped in hospitals but some hospital Trusts are now breaking ranks and instructing staff to start wearing them again.
Over the last few months I have been in two diff hospitals – one as an outpatiend and one to be vaccinated – all stafgf were masked. I wore an FFP2 and, unlike in England, I was ot asked to remove it and replace it with the inferior blue mask. I have also had several visits to GP’s surgery over the last few months all staff masked and amazingly many of the windiws were open.
Improving ventilation and air filtration in hospitals etc would certainly improve the infection rate. At least keeping mask wearing has helped.
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I suspect Scots are less ambivalent of the danger to themselves and others.
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