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TRAVELING across levels should be banned and enforcing a “rule of two” at Christmas is the only way to save the NHS, doctors warned.
The British Medical Association says that without strict measures when England’s blockade ends, the health service will not be able to cope.
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In a compelling new report, the nation’s top physicians warn that hospitals and GPs run the risk of not being able to provide even the most critical care.
They have called for new measures to “save time” between the planned end of England’s shutdown on December 2 and “the launch of an effective vaccine program.”
The BMA outlined a three-phase approach to “keep infection rates low” and “bring the NHS out of collapse this winter.”
The first phase, before the lockdown ends, involves a large-scale reform of the testing and contact tracing program.
Once England comes out of the lockdown, the second phase that doctors want to see is “much more effective and robust national measures” already in place.
Among the plan’s recommendations, they suggest replacing the “rule of six” with a “two-household rule” to reduce social mixing.
They also want to ban travel between different lock levels, while people should not be encouraged to return to the office if it is possible to work from home.
What is the three-phase approach that the British Medical Association has recommended?
The British Medical Association (BMA) has established a three-phase approach to controlling the spread of Covid-19 after the England lockdown ends.
Phase one (before blocking can be facilitated):
- The contract testing and tracing system must be reformed and modernized to be fit for the purpose of testing, tracing and isolating infected people and contacts in a responsive, timely and effective manner.
- A coherent national prevention approach that includes stricter preventive control measures, support for vulnerable groups, and review of the current tiered system of local closures where necessary.
Phase two (after England come out of lockdown):
- Reduce the social mix by replacing the ‘rule of six’ that allowed mixing up to six households with a rule of ‘two households’
- The creation, monitoring and application of safe COVID environments in public environments, hospitality and workplaces.
- Consistent and widespread use of masks, where people are less than two meters apart
- Continue with instructions for working from home whenever possible
- Clear measures to monitor, support and enforce compliance with infection control measures
- A unique and purpose-fit NHS Covid-19 app that tracks contacts, provides local infection level data and public health information
Phase three (effective planning and execution of a vaccination program):
- Plan the implementation of an effective vaccination program
- Government information and support
- Effective national, local, and public campaigns to provide transparent vaccine information, address misinformation, and build trust in it.
The full report is available on the BMA website.
The NHS Covid-19 app should also be updated to include information on infections at the local level, with guidance in a simple “air safety” style, they say.
Doctors also want to see more targeted support for clinically extremely vulnerable people and for the communities hardest hit by the pandemic, including the BAME communities.
They also want these rules to become enforceable official, rather than a guide.
Phase three would be a widespread adoption of a safe and effective vaccine, when one is available.
Doctors say a vaccination program must be “adequately planned and resourced” so that staff are ready and able to administer injections.
As more vaccines become available, there need to be public information campaigns to help everyone know how and when they can get vaccinated, they added.
‘THE IMPACT COULD BE WORSE’
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chairman of the Board of the British Medical Association (BMA), said: “We must not waste the efforts of the many people who have followed the law, stayed at home, sacrificed freedoms and incurred financial losses to contain the virus .
“When the first lockdown ended, there was no coherent plan to keep Covid-19 at bay, and no clear and simple public messages.
“This was followed by skyrocketing infection rates, more companies failing, new ‘local’ closures and we now have a death toll of more than 52,000.
It is unthinkable that we will make the same mistakes again because this time the impact will be much worse
Dr. Chaand Nagpaul
“As England prepare to come out of their second block, it is unthinkable that we will make the same mistakes again because this time, the impact will be much worse.
“It is reasonable to conclude that without these measures, the NHS will not be able to cope with the care of even the most seriously ill patients.
“This report demonstrates a sustainable plan to reduce the level of Covid-19 infections until a vaccine program is put in place.”
Their report concludes that with these recommendations in place, “past mistakes can be avoided, lives can be saved and the NHS can be pulled from the brink of collapse.”
It comes after Dr. Nagpaul warned that NHS workers are at risk of burning and have reported high levels of stress and fatigue.
As many as two in five have not taken a break since the first wave of the pandemic in March, he told the Health and Social Care Committee yesterday.
Dr. Nagpaul said that not only were the staff working “hard,” but they were also dealing with the emotional impact of watching their colleagues get sick, being afraid of getting sick themselves, and helping patients say goodbye to loved ones. via smartphones or iPads.
He said that even before the pandemic there were already high levels of stress and anxiety.
Many went to work every day worried about making a mistake, often for reasons beyond their control, he added.
RISK OF BURN
A survey of BMA physicians found that once the pandemic exceeds 51 percent they are more likely to work fewer hours, 26 percent say they are more likely to retire early, and 22 percent said they are more likely. leave the NHS for another career.
Meanwhile, 40 percent of doctors said their stress and burnout levels are now higher, 59 percent say they are very fatigued, and 40 percent have not even been able to take a proper peak or get off work. since March.
“They have been working hard,” Dr. Nagpaul told the deputies.
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Meanwhile, he expressed concern that GPs see “twice” as many patients as they should be.
He said GPs sometimes deal with 100 patients a day, averaging between 50 and 60.
Dr. Nagpaul said research shows that changes in the way doctors treat patients during the pandemic mean that GPs have 20% more contacts than before.
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