Following the release today of the government’s Covid winter plan, Dr Susan Crossland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said:
“The Covid winter plan produced by the Prime Minister and the government today to allegedly see the country and NHS through the end of this year and into the next is woefully short on important detail.
“For example, how many of the extra staff will be permanent or on the frontline? For far too long during this pandemic we have seen soundbites from the government which have lacked substance and that needs to be addressed.
“There is still a failure to recognise the impact of severe reductions in bed capacity over recent years and the inability to sufficiently staff expanding services. A plan light on detail at this crucial time is no way to provide reassurance.
“We would like to know where the focus of this extra funding for the NHS is going and, having already written and raised this with the government, if any steps will be taken to enhance same day emergency care provision.”