From Acute hospital activity and NHS beds information (quarterly) Quarter ending 31 December 2025 published today:

There were on average 13,550 available staffed beds per day for all acute specialties in the quarter ending 31 December 2025 – a 0.1% decrease compared to the same quarter in the previous year. An available staffed bed is a bed which is resourced for inpatient or day case care. Of these, 9,604 (71%) were for medical specialties and 3,946 (29%) were for surgical specialties. These percentages are unchanged from the same quarter in 2024. For all acute specialties in the quarter ending 31 December 2025, the percentage occupancy was 88.3%, a 0.9 percentage point decrease compared to the same quarter in the previous year. The percentage occupancy is the percentage of available staffed beds that were occupied on average by inpatients during the period.

Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-quarterly/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-quarterly-quarter-ending-31-december-2025/data-summary/

All things being equal, pro rata, per head, you might expect NHS England to have around 135 000 but it had only 103 824, 22.9% fewer.

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7281/CBP-7281.pdf

The occupancy rate, then in NHS England was much higher at 93% compared to 88% in Scotland.

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7281/CBP-7281.pdf

Imagine then a pandemic with fewer beds and higher occupancy?

A reminder of just how FM, Nicola Sturgeon, and the Scottish Government kept excess mortality here at one third lower than the UK average, saving thousands

in February 2022, as the pandemic receded, the simple consequences in terms of mortality in different parts of the UK can be see in this table from the September 2023, UK Covid 19 Inquiry report:

Other than the isolated South-west of England, Scotland had the lowest mortality rate of the 4 nations, even lower than Northern Ireland sheltered by its sea gap.

15% more died in Wales, suggesting a further 2 000 Scots might have died had their pandemic experience been managed by the Welsh Labour Government.

18% more died in England, suggesting a further 2 400 Scots might have died had their pandemic experience been managed by the UK Conservative Government.

How do we explain this? Faster and longer shutdowns; greater trust in FM Sturgeon’s guidance and consequent greater compliance with face masks and higher vaccination levels; quicker care home vaccinations after Health Secretary Freeman accelerated this, contrary to the UK strategy; more frequent care home inspections in the period prior to the pandemic and…………..more beds?