Pandemic 'Superhuman' NHS Workers Averted Collapse, Inquiry Finds
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the UK's healthcare systems, but 'superhuman' efforts by workers saved the NHS from collapse, says official inquiry.
A damning official inquiry has concluded that the NHS teetered on the brink of collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic, and only just coped thanks to the superhuman efforts of healthcare workers.
The chair of the COVID-19 inquiry, Heather Hallett, said the pandemic's impact was devastating due to the NHS being in a parlous state before the virus outbreak. The healthcare system entered the pandemic with low bed numbers, high staff vacancies, and high bed occupancy, leaving it ill-prepared to deal with a pandemic.
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There was not enough PPE at the start of the pandemic, forcing healthcare workers to put themselves and their families at risk to care for patients. Additionally, infection control in the early stages was flawed, as it assumed COVID-19 was spread by physical contact rather than being airborne.
The inquiry also found that the
Source: The Guardian
