UK’s NHS is facing the biggest crisis since its inception. The hospitals are swamped by a high number of Coronavirus patients. There is a shortage of staff and resources. Anika Khan reports.
- Although the arrival of the vaccines offered “new tools” to fight Coronavirus, a quarter of the European countries recorded a surge of 10% surge in cases over the span of the first two weeks of January.
- The chief medical officer Chris Whitty said, that the NHS is facing its “most dangerous situation” since its inception. He added that “If the virus continues on this trajectory, hospitals will be in real difficulties, and soon staff-to-patient ratios — already stretched — will become unacceptable even in intensive care.”
- The Tory government has cut off funds which have left NHS with a shortage of staff. Extreme pressure and long hours have worsened the situation of the current health workers. It is just a matter of time till the entire system collapses badly.
- To make matters worse, the British Medical Association (BMA) has reported that over 46,000 NHS staff contracted the new coronavirus. This is due to their long exposures, scarcity of PPE, and other resources.
- Admissions in hospitals are much higher than they were during the first wave of the virus last year. The county’s ambulance service is under unprecedented pressure with over nine to ten hours of handover delays.
- NHS chairwoman Sara Gorton said that the government needs to spend on the country’s health sector. She said, “everyone is relying on health workers in many different roles to see us through. Clapping has been a way of showing support, but the government now needs to pay up.”
- The number of covid-19 patients currently admitted in England’s hospitals has surpassed 29,000 on Friday. The UK has registered more than 80,000 Covid- related deaths on Saturday so far. Experts have warned about the consequences of the holiday period, family gatherings, and relaxed physical distancing which is yet to come.
