Never mind the talk, what GPS want is action and strategy

DEVI Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and a member of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 Advisory Group, has said that an independent Scotland could have handled the coronavirus better. But it seems important to emphasise that no leader in the UK, whether at Westminster or a devolved parliament, has done a “remarkable job” – indeed it disrespects the families of the thousands who’ve died through this terrible pandemic.

Comparing case numbers between devolved nations is an unhelpful and distracting exercise – these numbers are a product of many complex factors, including population density and mobility. Perhaps Scottish Government Covid-19 messaging has been clearer, but in general practice we are desperate to vaccinate our patients and can’t get supplies – we’d prefer action and strategy rather than daily BBC “briefings”.

As part of the UK Scotland has received billions of pounds to help maintain people’s livelihoods – the health effects of depriving Scots of that funding would have been profound. We’ve benefited from being part of a country which has developed vaccines – and our universities have access to UK funding to carry out their life-saving Covid-19 research. While not apologising for Westminster’s shambolic approach to the pandemic, it’s vital we don’t make unsubstantiated claims about how an independent Scotland might have done.

David Weller, James Mackenzie Professor of General Practice, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8.