Caution and vigilance must be maintained to keep up momentum
Responding to the Downing Street press conference, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:
“Continued caution on travel is welcome, with new countries added to the so-called red list and only 12 on the green list. We know all too well how quickly COVID-19 can spread, and there is growing concern about variants of the disease, which may be even more transmissible. This means caution and vigilance must be maintained.
“The major reduction we’ve seen in COVID infections seemed unimaginable a few months ago, as did the potential for international travel. Public co-operation with restrictions on life, work and education have helped bring this about, alongside the vaccination programme, but the government’s careful and measured approach remains essential. We are at a critical moment, with infections significantly down, and we must not lose momentum now.
“With that in mind, the Government must be prepared to amend its current timetable for easing restrictions, including around travel, and be ready to slam on the brakes if there are signs that the trajectory is changing. The NHS cannot afford another huge wave of infections and hospitalisations, as we saw in the winter.
“For too many people, the impact of the pandemic remains a profound and enduring one: the increasing numbers in our communities with long COVID, deterioration in mental health, and growing backlogs of treatment. NHS teams are committed to addressing these challenges, but they need honesty from the government about the scale of the challenge ahead, and they also need hope – in particular, that there is a plan to address the profound workforce shortages that have hindered the NHS for far too long.”
