Coronavirus: £3bn for NHS to organize for doable second wave

The NHS in England will get an additional £3bn of funding to organize for a doable second wave of coronavirus, Boris Johnson is about to announce.

The funding will even assist ease winter pressures on the well being service, Downing Avenue stated.

It follows warnings a second wave this winter may see round 120,000 Covid-19 deaths in UK hospitals.

The PM can be anticipated to make use of a press convention on Friday to decide to a brand new goal for testing capability.

Below the plans, capability could be elevated to 500,000 coronavirus exams a day by the top of October.

Mr Johnson will even publish an extra chapter to the federal government’s Covid-19 restoration technique “highway map”.

Downing Avenue stated the funding could be out there instantly and would permit the NHS to proceed utilizing further personal hospital capability and keep the short-term Nightingale hospitals till the top of March.

This would supply further capability for coronavirus sufferers, in addition to permitting the NHS to hold out routine therapies and procedures, No 10 stated.

Non-urgent operations have been suspended to liberate hospital beds because the UK went into lockdown through the first wave of coronavirus – however in Might NHS England informed hospitals they need to restart.

In regular occasions an announcement of £3bn to assist the NHS in England address winter pressures would possibly look beneficiant.

However these aren’t regular occasions as the federal government pumps tens of billions into the economic system to melt the blows of the coronavirus disaster.

The top of NHS England, Sir Simon Stevens, has been in talks with the Treasury to get ensures that the Nightingale hospitals can keep open by means of till subsequent spring in case there may be one other Covid surge.

He additionally wished safe funding in place to do a take care of personal hospitals to assist deal with the backlog of cancelled non pressing operations equivalent to hip and knee replacements.

That cash now appears to have been secured, although we await additional particulars.

The query is, will this be sufficient to get the well being service by means of what could possibly be probably the most tough winters in its historical past?

There have been predictions that the ready record for routine surgical procedure will swell to 10 million as fears of a second wave of Covid instances within the depths of winter will not go away.

A No 10 spokesman stated: “Because of the arduous work and sacrifices of the British folks, the virus is below management and we now have eased restrictions in a cautious, phased method.

“However the prime minister is evident that now shouldn’t be the time for complacency, and we should be sure that our NHS is battle prepared for winter.

“Tomorrow, he’ll set out a broad bundle of measures to guard towards each a doable second wave, and to ease winter pressures and preserve the general public protected.”

The spokesman stated the funding for England was new and never beforehand allotted, whereas expenditure shall be set out for the devolved nations sooner or later.

Return to work?

By saying this additional NHS funding, the prime minister is trying to reassure the general public he’s critical about coping with the second wave, which can give him area to additional ease the lockdown, BBC Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt says.

The federal government sees this as a “crucial second because it seeks to open up society”, Watt provides, and there was a variety of dialogue in authorities about whether or not Mr Johnson will on Friday announce a “return to work” in a protected method.

The PM may be very anxious that individuals persevering with to work at home means city and metropolis centres are being “hollowed out economically”, Watt says.

The UK’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance informed MPs on Thursday there was “completely no purpose” to vary the federal government’s present steering on working from house.

Since late March the federal government has suggested folks to work at home if doable to assist curb coronavirus.

However final week Mr Johnson signalled a change, saying: “I believe we should always now say, nicely, ‘Return to work in the event you can’.”

Second wave fears

Earlier this week a report, requested by Sir Patrick, known as for speedy motion to scale back the dangers posed by a second wave of coronavirus this winter.

Amongst its suggestions have been rising the capability of the check and hint programme and getting extra folks vaccinated towards flu.

Requested to mannequin a “cheap” worst-case situation, scientists urged a variety of between 24,500 and 251,000 virus-related deaths in hospitals alone, peaking in January and February.

The estimate doesn’t keep in mind any lockdowns, therapies or vaccines.

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Analysis suggests the virus can survive longer in colder circumstances and is extra more likely to unfold when folks spend extra time indoors.

Consultants are additionally involved the NHS shall be below excessive stress, not simply from a resurgence of coronavirus but additionally from seasonal flu and a backlog of normal, non-coronavirus workload.

No 10 stated the elevated prevalence of seasonal sicknesses was additionally more likely to improve particular person’s vulnerability to an infection, significantly among the many aged.

The potential for an increase in different respiratory viruses with comparable signs additionally presents challenges for the capability of the federal government’s check and hint programme, Downing Avenue added.

Well being Secretary Matt Hancock has already introduced plans for the “largest flu vaccination programme in historical past”, with expanded eligibility standards anticipated to be set out shortly.

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