[News] Covid response ‘one of UK’s worst ever public health failures’

[Neville's Breakfast]

The instant dismissal from some posters was predictable. But when people say it was unprecedented (it wasn’t) and how could they have known what to do? Well read the report itself, it tells you exactly how they could have known what to do and details how they failed to act.
It’s all very well to dismiss it outright. Read the report.

I’m not sure anybody dismissed the report, did they ? From my reading of the thread everyone seems to agree with it.

 

[Silverhatch]

nobody has had to ever deal with anything like Covid before. I have no doubt throughout Europe all leaders will be looking at what they did well and what they did wrong and hopefully learn from it . UK governments and scientist will be doing the same.

For balance, there was huge evidence and practical knowledge of how to deal with pan-regional SARS/MERS epidemics in Asia. We (Europe/US) did not listen. The World Health Organisation, allegedly neutered by China and Trump-demonisation, was unable to assert its message too. Governments led by non-detail leaders, focussed on more "Pressing" domestic issues, drove a narrative that said it was nothing to worry about. Many failings. Many lessons.

 

[A1X]

Lives have always been secondary to economics for this government (ironically this mishandling had also led to a worsening economic situation for us, who knew?) In moment of crisis we have been let down by a shambolic excuse government that doesn't have an empathetic bone in its body.

And the Government still does regard economics as more important than lives

[tweet]1444206716799930368[/tweet]

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If only they'd listened to the considerable pandemic and medical knowledge to be found on NSC.

or maybe just listened full stop. That would have gone a long way.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

For balance, there was huge evidence and practical knowledge of how to deal with pan-regional SARS/MERS epidemics in Asia. We (Europe/US) did not listen. The World Health Organisation, allegedly neutered by China and Trump-demonisation, was unable to assert its message too. Governments led by non-detail leaders, focussed on more "Pressing" domestic issues, drove a narrative that said it was nothing to worry about. Many failings. Many lessons.

This.

 

[Hotchilidog]

And the Government still does regard economics as more important than lives

[tweet]1444206716799930368[/tweet]

Exactly. Utterly shameful. An indefensible selfish, privileged hack.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

'Pretty well'

Still quite a few refusing jabs even with 1.5 years of knowledge behind us.

Back then, there was no history of this virus. I can imagine the responses.

And look at last Summer. Football celebrations, beaches, protests. Then we had mask wearing refusal, vaccine non compliance etc. I think the Government were completely wrong in not enforcing strict measures but blimey there would have been some whining. Nevertheless they should have done it, ignored the complaints and made examples of refusers.
A good example of what the Government faced was my experience yesterday. I rang for a follow up Cardiology appointment at my hospital and asked for a telephone consultation as per the previous one and explained I am vulnerable to Covid and would rather not visit a hospital. The lady told me Covid was over. When I replied there are still 40000 cases a day and I am at high risk of blood clots and further strokes she said ‘well, we all have our opinions.’ She works for the NHS !

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

To be fair, SAGE have repeatedly come out with awful advice and predictions throughout this as well - many of which proved to be nonsense very quickly. Not many come out of this with much credit (vaccine developers and keyworkers etc excepted, obviously), but ain’t hindsight wonderful

Many of the failings were pointed out in real time, even flagged up on here, and were down to multiple massive failures in basic common sense. Questions such as: Why were 20 flights a day between Northern Italy and London being allowed to run when that country was in full lockdown, and passengers allowed to just be disgorged straight on to public transport completely unchecked. And why were patients being discharged from hospital straight back into care homes, again completely unchecked? Like I say it was down to multiple massive failures in basic common sense that cost many many lives

 

[The Clamp]

Err did you read it ?... the first lockdown delay was due to following scientific advice.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

I apologise. You’re correct.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

What's hindsight got to do with it? It was plain to see at the time that action needed to be taken. From here in Spain, observing what was happening in Italy, I wondered why the Spanish government delayed bringing in measures. Following that I could not understand why Boris Johnson, having seen the pandemic grow in Europe, continued to dither. As Spain were locking down, and Italy were a week into lockdown, the UK still had thousands packed into convert venues. An ostrich with a clipboard could've foreseen what was happening.

The government was warned before Cheltenham Races and the Liverpool match were played. Both went ahead.

 

[Simster]

Cheers!

I'm hurt now.

He's right though. Your glib "hindsight" drivel is driven entirely by the fact you're the worst kind of political idealogist. You couldn't possibly admit that an opposition MP at the time was frankly far more competent than this government, whose response was absolutely disgraceful.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

He's right though. Your glib "hindsight" drivel is driven entirely by the fact you're the worst kind of political idealogist. You couldn't possibly admit that an opposition MP at the time was frankly far more competent than this government, whose response was absolutely disgraceful.

Quite apart from the fact, Keir Starmer didn't become the leader of the opposition, until two months after the first infection in the UK.

 

[herecomesaregular]

- Should have gone to a tighter lockdown before we eventually did. However, the British public are not controlled and submissive like out East so they dithered.
- Buffoons lied about how much testing was going to be done for patients being discharged from hospital into care homes. Talking in theory rather than in actual practice... or lying, make your choice.
- Clearing hospitals of older patients and putting them into care homes killed many but they were expecting hospital overload like in Italy. Nightingale hospitals were barely used in the end.
- Amazing creation of vaccines much more quickly than anticipated with Britain very much at the forefront.
- Initial cockup and blunders of PPE ordering and receiving, wasting billions. Eventually got it right. Same problems worldwide except out East.
- Billions wasted on a world leading (in talk) Test and Trace programme (pretty useless in action). But it was something for Boris to talk up repeatedly.
- Fascinating and sometimes perversely hilarious public tv broadcasts from the Gov.
- Superb purchase and rollout of vaccine programme, partly because it was able to be done without much government interference? Maybe the one decent outcome so far of Brexit or maybe a fluke?
- Not sure Labour would have done better but we will never know. Not sure other countries did better either.

I'm going on personal observation, not read the report yet.

 

[zefarelly]

For balance, there was huge evidence and practical knowledge of how to deal with pan-regional SARS/MERS epidemics in Asia. We (Europe/US) did not listen. The World Health Organisation, allegedly neutered by China and Trump-demonisation, was unable to assert its message too. Governments led by non-detail leaders, focussed on more "Pressing" domestic issues, drove a narrative that said it was nothing to worry about. Many failings. Many lessons.

Lessons that have not and will not be learned by this administration, it's not important to them thousands of peasants dying.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Well it obviously wasn't hindsight for everyone. Interview from 14 days prior to the first lockdown.



Very clearly stating what was required and when 'NOW'

Just thank god Johnson was chosen instead

 

[stewart12]

our governments response was absolutely diabolical throughout much of the pandemic

we're an island AND were given warning for crying out loud

 

[dazzer6666]

Many of the failings were pointed out in real time, even flagged up on here, and were down to multiple massive failures in basic common sense. Questions such as: Why were 20 flights a day between Northern Italy and London being allowed to run when that country was in full lockdown, and passengers allowed to just be disgorged straight on to public transport completely unchecked. And why were patients being discharged from hospital straight back into care homes, again completely unchecked? Like I say it was down to multiple massive failures in basic common sense that cost many many lives

….yet the biggest failure - incomprehensible late lockdown - was in part due to following SAGE advice.

 

[Is it PotG?]

He's right though. Your glib "hindsight" drivel is driven entirely by the fact you're the worst kind of political idealogist. You couldn't possibly admit that an opposition MP at the time was frankly far more competent than this government, whose response was absolutely disgraceful.

The element that has so far been unanswered is, should the poor effort be accepted, WHY?

Was it out of malice, ignorance, mischief?

Criticism, however justified, should try explain the reasons for the errors lest they ever reoccur.

The ongoing mantra of Labour has been to have a pop at this, have a pop at that without ever coming up with positive steps forward. Thankfully such a poor, negative and unhelpful approach has been highlighted universally.

Strange world we live in.

 

[dazzer6666]

- Should have gone to a tighter lockdown before we eventually did. However, the British public are not controlled and submissive like out East so they dithered.
- Buffoons lied about how much testing was going to be done for patients being discharged from hospital into care homes. Talking in theory rather than in actual practice... or lying, make your choice.
- Clearing hospitals of older patients and putting them into care homes killed many but they were expecting hospital overload like in Italy. Nightingale hospitals were barely used in the end.
- Amazing creation of vaccines much more quickly than anticipated with Britain very much at the forefront.
- Initial cockup and blunders of PPE ordering and receiving, wasting billions. Eventually got it right. Same problems worldwide except out East.
- Billions wasted on a world leading (in talk) Test and Trace programme (pretty useless in action). But it was something for Boris to talk up repeatedly.
- Fascinating and sometimes perversely hilarious public tv broadcasts from the Gov.
- Superb purchase and rollout of vaccine programme, partly because it was able to be done without much government interference? Maybe the one decent outcome so far of Brexit or maybe a fluke?
- Not sure Labour would have done better but we will never know. Not sure other countries did better either.

I'm going on personal observation, not read the report yet.

Good summary. They got the Vaxx strategy right, but pretty much nothing else. Only point I disagree on is whether Labour would have done any better. Starmer is a pisspoor opposition leader, just at the time we need a good one.

 

[A1X]

Lessons that have not and will not be learned by this administration, it's not important to them thousands of peasants dying.

Even now they're still trying to herd people back to the office for no good reason other than it's costing some of their corporate landlords a lot of money.