It’s important to question it but it’s ridiculous to say they’re “condemning thousands to death” without actually knowing who’s specifically died from government policies.
Government/Scientific protocol returned elderley Covid 19 patients back to care homes from hospitals from start of pandemic. This protocol was only recently revised by Hancock and announced x5 days ago. This was due to there now being some capacity in critical care beds due to nightingale hospitals coming on line.
The protocol was in place as officials thought original critical care capacity would be overwhelmed so prioritised capacity to younger Covid 19 patients who they thought would survive or at least occupy critical care [ventilator] bed for shorter period. Now pre-covid19, consultants always had to balance decisions on who gets what care/equipment/opportunities, however, this blanket protocol returned covid 19 patients back to Care Homes.
These Care Homes, certaintly at the time of this protocol, were at very lower end of governments PPE, as majority being fed to NHS. Again, you can take a position that that decision was correct as in short supply. Of course, elderly persons would have died in those same care homes from other causes during this period. In addition, majority of elderly patients initially sent to hospital requiring ventilation would themselves have died as of course majority of younger covid 19 patients too, those requiring ventilation also die.
However, there is no doubt that that protocol has significantly impacted the number of deaths due to Covid 19 in care homes due to infection then spreading in that poorly PPE resourced environment. It of course exposed those workers in these social care environments, those with limited access to correct ppe and less training, to significant risk of covid 19.
In order to ascertain whether government policies led to more deaths both in the above cases and others, well you probably will never be given access to all the information to fully comprehend situation. However, if you just consider current governments response and not any previous governments response, [eg 2016 pandemic alerts], then it will probably be around in general, if this government took the decisions it did take, either early enough or enough of.
I posted early in these discussions of a statement made by a WHO official. I dont claim that WHO response, as an organisation has been good or bad, with respect to Covid 19. Indeed i think the statement related to Ebola and not Covid 19. The statement related to organisations/bodies not normally facing pandemics and their decision processes. The statement related to your first decision/appraisals/actions needing to be multiplied x10 fold+ or you are unlikely never to be ahead of the threat. You can always revise down at later date.
Having excess gowns or oxygen or tests or ventilators or beds is not really a problem, you can always sell/give them to an other country who reacted more slowly etc or who needs them. The cost of any excess resource is tiny in comparison to more deaths, longer lockdown, ongoing financial impact. The much lauded 30 billion at the budget is probably a clear example of this x10 fold+ thinking and how govt didn't really have any understanding, of the scale of potential risk or impact a pandemic could lead too.
Lets be clear though, noone country will have made all the right decisions at the right time. Currently every country has to work thru best wherever they are at at this point. I hope the government is currently is at least open to all party dialogue so at least they can have visibility to other options
and are best prepared to make the best decisions to move us onwards from our current position.
