What’s going on: we aren’t ready for a winter crisis

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has been devastating. Much of the lethal impact on lives and livelihoods could easily have been avoided if our Government had taken the appropriate steps in time. Instead, they dithered and avoided responsibility and put all our lives at risk. Their strategy has been one of ‘herd immunity’ in all but name, and prioritising profit over the safety of ordinary people. The Government has slashed funding, privatised services and mismanaged the NHS prior to the current crisis. Its handling of the crisis has been shameful, privately run test and trace a total failure. Its policy of discharging Covid-19 patients back into care homes (frequently a death sentence for our elderly and most vulnerable), and excluding nurses and other frontline staff from the latest public sector pay rise announcements, (while MP’s are to be awarded a further £3,300 pa pay rise) are more examples of their callous attitude. While infection rates soar once more in a ‘second surge’, (a situation aggravated by the Government’s re-opening of schools, workplaces, restaurants and universities) the approaching crisis will hit during winter. As Keep Our NHS Public and other campaign groups, including the British Red Cross have been arguing for years, the regular ‘winter crisis’ in our NHS, is nothing short of a ‘humanitarian disaster’ in its own right. The consequences of Covid-19 peaking again during winter months will be dire. Many more will lose their lives unnecessarily.