Top British health leaders on Wednesday called for a review into the UK’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic so far to make sure the country is prepared for the “real risk” of a second wave.
The experts include the chair of the British Medical Association as well as the presidents of the Royal College of Physicians, Surgeons, GPs, and Nursing.
“FUTURE SHAPE OF PANDEMIC IS HARD TO PREDICT”
In an open letter published in the British Medical Journal, they also urged a review into why ethnic minority communities bore a “disproportionate burden” of the pandemic.
The letter called for a review into the UK’s handling of the pandemic thus far, saying it was “crucial” and “needs to happen soon if the public is to have confidence that the virus can be contained.”
This review should “not be about looking back or attributing blame. Rather it should be a rapid and forward-looking assessment of national preparedness, based on an examination of the complex and interrelated policy areas.”
“While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, the available evidence indicates that local flare ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk,” they said.
“Many elements of the infrastructure needed to contain the virus are beginning to be put in place, but substantial challenges remain,” said the letter.