Doctors have accused the government of “wilful negligence” for refusing to implement immediately its coronavirus “plan B” for winter.
The British Medical Association warned Covid-19 deaths were as high as during March’s lockdown, with Chaand Nagpaul, the body’s chair, calling ministers’ approach “incredibly concerning”.
His comments followed a press briefing by Sajid Javid in which the health secretary claimed pressure on the NHS was not yet unsustainable and said “plan B” would not be activated until hospitals were at risk of being overwhelmed.
The Independent has previously reported how some patients are waiting two full days for a bed after visiting A&E, while others are forced to wait outside hospital in an ambulance for hours on end.
However, Mr Javid did warn on Wednesday evening that winter restrictions could return “if we don’t do our bit”.
The health secretary told reporters: “If not enough people get that booster jab, if not enough people who are eligible for that original offer of a vaccine don’t come forward, if people don’t wear masks when they really should … it’s going to hit us.”
