Multiple NHS trusts across England have declared “critical incidents” as staff absences saw due to Covid-19, with health leaders saying many parts of the service are now “in a state of crisis”. There are now concerns that some may be unable to deliver vital care to patients.
Despite the situation in the trusts, Boris Johnson has ruled out the introduction of new curbs “for now” but said he recognised that the pressure on the NHS and its hospitals, was “going to be considerable in the course of the next couple of weeks, and maybe more”.
Health leaders said the “rapidly increasing” number of absent NHS staff was piling “very serious” pressure on hospitals already struggling to cope with increasing Covid admissions and “huge wider pressure” on urgent and emergency services.
Full story in The Guardian, 4 January 2022