,
Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to the Health
Secretary’s Covid-19 statement in the Commons, said:
“I understand why he has had to move further areas into Tiers 3
and 4 restrictions today. This is as he says almost the whole
country in a form of lockdown.
“We will vote for the regulations tonight. The situation we are
in today is truly horrific. This virus is out of control.
Yesterday over 47,000 cases reported in England, in the last two
weeks nearly half a million cases reported. So far cases in Tier
4 areas show no sign of slowing down.
“In England there are now more patients in hospital – over 20,000
- than at any time in the pandemic. With admissions rising day by
day including almost 2000 on Christmas day. Hospitals are close
to or at surge capacity.
“We see ambulances queuing up outside hospitals because there are
no beds for their patients. We have London hospitals requesting
to transfer patients in need of intensive care to Yorkshire.
“Frontline health care workers warn of oxygen supplies running
low. Can he assure there will be no disruption in oxygen supplies
through this second wave?
“Our NHS staff are exhausted, morale is low, staff absence is
said to be double its normal level, leave for many is cancelled.
And this time there is no evening applause on our streets just
long dark hard nights.
“The Nightingales were opened at great expense and fanfare. Now
we hear of some of them such as London’s have been emptied. Will
they be used? And if with so many shortages, how will they be
staffed?
“There are reports today that only one in eight retired NHS
staff, just 5,000 out of an eligible 30,000 who applied have been
brought back to help. Shouldn’t we be making full use of this
resource, especially to help with vaccination?
“Today’s AstraZeneca news is a tremendous boost and I
congratulate all involved. Can he confirm how many doses we
currently have ready to go? We are in a crisis now, mass
vaccination needs to start straight away. We need to go hell for
leather to get these jabs rolled out with no delay.
“We have already lost more than 600 health care workers to this
horrific virus including a disproportionate number from Black
Asian and ethnic minority communities.
Frontline NHS staff need the protection of the vaccine ASAP. Will
he set a clear target for when all NHS frontline staff will
receive the lifesaving jabs?
“Can he tell us when all care home residents and staff be
vaccinated? And he will recall I raised with him the situation
facing those with terminal illness, can he clarify what the
JCVI’s guidance is for that group?
“This is a race against time, the more this virus circulates, the
more opportunities for further variants emerge. This new B117
variant is 56 per cent more transmissible. It is the dominant
strain in London, South East and East of England. The NERVTAG
minutes from 18th December suggest it could add 0.4 to the R.
“Given the first lockdown brought R to about 0.6 and the second
lockdown to about 0.8, this surely means it will be harder to
bring infections under control and so harder measures will be
needed. So will he publish in real time the advice he is
receiving from SAGE on restrictions need?
“This is a global crisis but let us be clear this is a national
emergency. Our National Health Service is becoming overwhelmed. I
hope the Tier 4 restrictions are enough, but many believe even
tougher restrictions are inevitable? Does he agree?
“We need not put more lives in jeopardy when vaccines are so
near. Let’s give the achievements of our scientists the best
chance to save lives. The country has sacrificed so much in 2020,
let’s not repeat the same mistakes.
“We must start 2021 by doing everything it takes right now to
save lives and support our NHS. Only then can we look forward
with confidence and hope.”
