Ministers must urgently implement sweeping “plan B” winter measures or derail efforts to tackle the backlog of 5 million patient s, the head of the NHS Confederation has warned as the UK recorded its highest daily Covid death toll since March.
Infections have been rising sharply since the start of October but the government is resisting introducing the extra restrictions set out in its winter plan, including masks, vaccine passports and advice to work from home.
Yesterday the UK reported 223 Covid deaths recorded within 28 days of a positive test – the highest for seven months – while the seven-day average for Covid cases stands at 44,145 a day. The UK now has one of the highest weekly rates of new reported cases in the world.
No 10 said it was keeping a “very close eye” on the situation. But Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said immediate action was required to prevent the NHS “stumbling into a crisis” where the elective care recovery would be jeopardised.
“We are right on the edge – and it is the middle of October,” said Taylor. “It would require an incredible amount of luck for us not to find ourselves in the midst of a profound crisis over the next three months.
This story is from the October 20, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the October 20, 2021 edition of The Guardian.
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