If the NHS is to stave off a tsunami of preventable cases, Matt Hancock has to win the people’s trust back
Editorial: There may not be national collapse across every hospital in the coming weeks, but if the government continues to confuse the public, cases could be especially acute in certain areas
Matt Hancock, the secretary of state for health and social care, is a reassuring figure in that he has made such a complete recovery from coronavirus that he has returned to work with rather more vigour than he showed before.
At his press conference and at the opening of the first Nightingale hospital, Mr Hancock was positively Tiggerish in his enthusiasm. He has also been rather more open and transparent than most of his colleagues.
Still, by his very own testament, Mr Hancock and his colleagues face a reckoning this month. On the one hand, Mr Hancock conceded that the kind of mass testing needed to get on top of the pandemic will possibly not be under way until the end of the month. On the other hand, Mr Hancock also tells us that the peak of coronavirus infections will arrive sooner than expected, and before the end of the month.
On that basis, then, the curve of new cases will not have been flattened enough to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed – and lives of patients, nurses and doctors will be lost as a result. It will not be a national collapse across every hospital, in all likelihood, because of the regional variation in infection rates and local provision. But it will be especially acute at first in London and in the Midlands.
Mr Hancock warns that the extent of the demand on the NHS depends crucially on adherence to strict social distancing and self-isolation measures. Yet, as the continuing convalescence of the prime minister illustrates, recovery from coronavirus may be slow, and many in the tsunami of cases expected to be admitted in the coming weeks are already infected.
That is, however, no reason either for the public to relax its compliance, or for the authorities to loosen the rules. As Easter and better weather approaches, many will be tempted to enjoy the outdoors, stoke up the BBQ or visit friends and family. That will cost lives. The restrictions, uncomfortable as they are, are better than the alternatives. We have seen before in this crisis how difficult it is to rely on voluntary action or to fine-tune social behaviour through exhortation. Clear messages and sensible enforcement, though they arrived later than they should, have enjoyed some success – though perhaps not enough to prevent that tsunami. They have to stay in place for the time being.
The fact remains that the government has failed in three key areas: on testing, especially of NHS staff; on personal protective equipment; and on ventilators, targets have been missed, pledges broken and mistakes made. Too many questions remain for the public to have complete confidence in the government’s efforts.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments