The NHS has declared a ‘Level 4’ emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
This is the highest level in the NHS system.
Earlier today, Boris Johnson’s chief medical and scientific advisers indicated that the ‘reasonable worst case’ number of UK deaths resulting from the outbreak could be over half a million.
A Wirral school also became the latest to close after a confirmed case of ‘COVID-19’ infection – only three miles from the government’s ‘quarantine’ of passengers returning from the Far East, which has been heavily criticised for its laxness.
Neither Boris Johnson nor Health Secretary Matt Hancock has yet given any firm indication of additional funding or resources for the NHS, apart from a scheme to drag vulnerable retired doctors and nurses back into service.
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I wonder – is this emergency a level 4 on its own account or because the NHS is already stretched beyond breaking point with Tory cuts and incompetence?
Channel 4 News has an investigation into the lack of sick pay provision for contracted workers in the NHS on tonight’s program. From 30:40 to 36:00.
Linky? 🙂
CH4 News have produced a clip so here is a direct link
https://www.channel4.com/news/coronavirus-hospital-cleaners-fear-taking-sick-days
fxxk the NHS … get Brexit done … yess that is all
( sarcasm alert )
rob – I’ve already posted this on another thread but I think it is worth repeating because it perfectly illustrates the sentiments you’ve expressed above
It would make for a good start if the Conservative zealots could put the health of the nation before political ideology.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/coronavirus-health-experts-hit-out-21613826
Downing Street has reportedly rejected pleas to keep the EU’s Early Warning and Response System (EWRS)
The online platform has existed for 22 years to let health chiefs exchange rapid information about “serious cross-border threats to health”.
But according to the Daily Telegraph, No10 has rejected pleas to keep it as part of a trade deal – despite even a Department of Health official lobbying for access.
A source told the newspaper: “The Department of Health pitched for continued access to the EWRS to be an objective of the negotiations.
“But it was blocked because they didn’t want to be accused of seeking more than the basic Canada deal.”
Thanks steveH for the info , I am up to date re the EU EWRS , just depressingly appalling re the Tories blatant arrogance .
However , we all know this is all part of Tory plan A to destroy once and for all the NHS and replace it with a Private money machine .
Coronvirus 19 just enhances and speeds up that tipping point where the public loose all faith and clamour for a private run health system.Underfund and maintain the pressure … result.. bingo.. and job done !
Sarcasm is the lowest form of whit as they say , but I feel that is all that is left now , the fools who voted Tory to get Brexit done , will now reap the benefit of that and in a way who could blame them for not trusting Labour when there was the remain option on the cards .
Corbyn had it dead right respect the vote do th eBrexit but under our terms not Tories , but hey ho the PLP won and we as a Nation lost , and the party still hasn’t had the reflection or debate that Corbyn suggested nor has the PLP learnt a dam thing
We could have had a Labour Brexit which would have been immensely safer and better ( if that’s what you could call leaving the EU madness ) but nope the voters went for Tory and now many of them will possibly die as a result .
And if Starmer wins , which I admit at present looks likely , then that will hammer home the final nail in the coffin for Labour and those Northern constituencies .
Still there is always hope in that case of a split and a new serious Left wing party being born not the mickey mouse attempts we have seen so far , there will probably be many 100,000’s of Left wingers in Labour looking at that option.
The DNC over the pond in USA looks to be approaching a similar position over Bernie S and the right wing Super PAC crapola they are trying at present to undermine him .Rumours are rife of a split and massive bust up ,, AOC is on the case so ….time will tell.
It is likely that the Super Delegates will expose how corrupt the DNC is.
indeed,,,, but what difference will it make , imo there is fast approaching now , a time where the traditional so called workers representing parties are finished , simply because of decades of hollowing out by ( Blair / CLinton / Obama) Centrists , that there needs to be a major split and upheaval to effect having any meaningful true honest representation of the 99% .
As Thatcher said her greatest achievement was Nu Labour under Tony Blair , much the same could be said for the DNC under Clinton/Obama
“We could have had a Labour Brexit which would have been immensely safer and better …”
It was never going to happen. Once Labour had swallowed the Tory guff about the (minority) vote, it was always the Tories that had the upper hand. They had the advantage of sounding convincing, whilst Labour was pirouetting on the spot.
“the fools who voted Tory to get Brexit done ”
… were also the gullible fools who voted for something they had no idea about in the first place. Labour failed in one of its key roles – the Party of education. There was no way back – particularly when the early election trap had been set.
In the end, as often said, the election majority was created by susceptibility to the Tory media and game plan.
proof in the puddin , 2017 Vs 2019 difference , remain option on the cards , . No matter what I think of the foolishness of folks voting Tory , Corbyn had called it right to support the misguided vote and the RW PLP successfully destroyed our chances of a Labour Govt . The rest as they say is now history and I wish all those who clamoured for a remain option in the party would accept that simple fact
Eight-or-so weeks into the existence of COVID-19 is too soon to know whether this will be a level 4 emergency or not – it has to take at least 13 – 15 weeks to even begin to understand the patterns or replication.
The NHS is shaming itself in a sort of BBC-lets-pretend-the-government-knows-what-it’s-doing sort of way.