When the evidence changes the policy should change

The government’s advisers this year from the scientific and medical professions have concentrated on one main preoccupation, getting the numbers of deaths down at any given time from CV 19.

This has resulted in a policy which does not give much weight to getting deaths down from other causes by ensuring a full service NHS that can handle all the other conditions that can become dangerous or fatal if they go untreated. I have highlighted how treatments for other conditions have fallen off markedly . I have also drawn attention to the danger of cross infection all the time CV 19 patients are treated in General hospitals or are sent back to Care homes prematurely after treatment.

It has also meant much greater priority has been given to delaying CV 19 infection spread rather than consideration of the impact on jobs and livelihoods, which in turn can have a knock on effect on mental health. There have been no government published graphs and charts chronicling the likely loss of jobs, bankruptcies of companies and withdrawal of self employed services when lockdowns strike.

The scientific and medical professions have made important strides in understanding the virus and its spread, and have found some treatments that help. They have not been able yet to find a vaccine that will prevent the disease in the future, nor treatments that ensure most people getting the serious form of the disease will recover. This makes it important that the Cabinet asks what is the point of a lockdown if it merely delays rather than stops the progress of the virus? How does a rolling lockdown help, given the way that will do more damage to livelihoods and business?

I will take up again with the government a number of ways of helping us live with the virus and blunting its spread and impact as have to do so. These include

1. Establishing Isolation hospitals or Isolation wings with separate entrances and strong infection control for CV 19
2. Further evaluation of existing drugs and vitamin treatments that can prevent, abate or cure the disease in more cases
3. More advice and help to private sector building and events managers on setting up the space and airflows to cut the risk of infection
4. A renewed drive to help the NHS get back to pre March levels of work in non Covid activity.
5. Freeing the private hospitals from public contracts that may be holding back the amount of work they do, whilst buying slots in them for specified patients where that offers value for money and extra capacity is still needed
6. Easing restrictions on road travel so more people can get to work or the shops by car more easily, given the government’s statement of risks on trains and buses.

The lock down should be lifted soon. case numbers were levelling out before it was imposed.