I was thinking last night why we have had so many deaths Yes testing PPE etc etc but is there something else . Once people are in hospital why such large death rates I am confident our Drs are on par with any other countries So is it to do with something else.
I think the 'something else' was that they were so concerned about not overwhelming the NHS, after witnessing the scenes in Italian hospitals (where the losses were, ironically, fewer) that it translated into keeping as many people out of hospital for as long as possible, until it was often too late. People were instructed to go it alone at home for as long as they could, paramedics and 111 were given a high benchmark for admissions (7/10, reduced to 3-5/10 on April 10th) and the often rapid deterioration with Covid-19 meant that people were getting to hospital too late. We were never near to being overwhelmed- more people could have been saved.
The policy in Germany, just for example, was to admit much earlier (like Boris was), at a point where oxygen was still effective,rather than wait until ventilating became the more likely option. As we know, survival rates are not brilliant, once a patient is on a ventilator.
In Italy, saving life at all costs is ingrained into the culture. In the UK, not so much, it seems. Dominic Cummings and his ilk wouldn't be tolerated in many other countries.