Doctors feel NHS is unprepared for coronavirus

Less than one per cent of doctors feel that the NHS is well prepared for the new coronavirus, according to a new poll from The Doctors’ Association UK.

Despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s insistence that the NHS will cope if it is hit by a surge in the number of people falling ill, only eight out of the 1,618 respondents to the survey said they believed the health service was ready to deal with an outbreak.

Common concerns cited by doctors include difficulties coping with increased demand and a shortage of beds and poor staffing levels. They also lamented a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and inappropriate advice to attend A&E/GP practices being given by NHS 111.

The government is set to announce its ‘battle plan’ to combat the virus, which includes bringing newly retired medical staff back to work.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, chair of The Doctors’ Association UK and an anaesthetic doctor said: “The NHS has already been brought to its knees and many frontline doctors fear that our health system simply won’t cope in the event of a Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. With nearly 10,000 doctor vacancies and 43,000 nurse vacancies the NHS is already understaffed to deal with demand. A&E waiting times are the worst on record. Intensive care units are at capacity and are even struggling to admit patients who are critically unwell or awaiting cancer surgery.

“Doctors have been shouting this from the rooftops for some time. Many hoped the threat of COVID-19 would prompt an honest conversation to address the issue of critical care capacity and our ability to look after our sickest patients. By simply saying ‘the NHS is well prepared to deal with Coronovirus’ it seems that yet again doctors’ concerns have been brushed under the carpet.”