DECEMBER 2

The UK approves the first vaccine made by Pfizer/ Biontech.

DECEMBER 8

The coronavirus vaccination programme begins in Scotland.

DECEMBER 15

The first cases of a new more infectious mutant virus variant are confirmed in Scotland. FM says the cases in Glasgow date to November.

DECEMBER 25

Restrictions relaxed on Christmas Day so families can travel and mix indoors.

DECEMBER 26

The toughest level four restrictions are imposed on mainland Scotland.

Pre-covid, having a crowded emergency department was the norm. We’d have patients in cubicles and in the corridors waiting to be seen.

In the first wave the ability to move patients to a ward in a timely fashion – what we would call exit block – disappeared because all non-critical services stopped. Exit block is now back, despite the fact that we’re not back at pre-covid numbers. This is because there is not enough capacity in the system.

Prior to Covid there weren’t enough beds and perversely, due to the need for physical distancing in wards, we have lost more beds. We’re not clear how many beds have been lost in Scotland but prior to Covid we were short of 639 beds. We’re probably short of around 1,000 now.

That has to be addressed because it has manifested itself in ambulance stacking – when ambulances are unable to transfer patients to the emergency department because patients can’t be put on trollies in corridors. Infection prevention and control means corridor care is no longer acceptable – and it never should have been.

At some hospitals, patients can now wait in the back of ambulances for hours.