The populations of Norway and Denmark combined are roughly the same as Sweden.Just seems odd that places that haven't and are more densely populated aren't don't you think? Whether it was right or wrong remains to be seen for me. Sweden's approach was to keep everything open but protect the most vulnerable and it's working so far. Success can't be judged where countries are now but where they are in 2 or 3 years. The last financial crisis caused an estimated 500,000 cancer deaths, this is looking like it will be much worse and I can see the fallout causing many more deaths than the virus itself. Not to mention those who will die lonely without seeing any family as they are not allowed to. If I was in my 80's I wouldn't be self isolating and not seeing my family what's the point, time is precious.
The populations of Norway and Denmark combined are roughly the same as Sweden.
Sweden with it's more open policy has 4 times the casualties.
Spain which a month ago looked in a shed load of trouble, worse than Italy and certainly the UK, due to implementing a much harder lockdown has turned it around.
To my mind if your objective is to reduce the number of deaths in the short term, and remember we have no idea what the longer term might bring, then hard lockdown is the answer.
No, you are right. Words matter with this stuff. I should have said accountable. It’s exactly the same in finance with an Accountable Executive. However, a pandemic crisis the like of which we haven’t seen in 100 years is not a poor quality sandwich or unattended bed pan (serious though that is). There is a scale of the risk surrounding pandemic which should make it pretty high on the SOS agenda from day one of his tenure. So Hancock is the accountable executive in this case.You are being - and I do not mean this in a bad way - pedantic in the wording of accountabilities Vs responsibility for action/provision
Contracts that I have put in place for government departments may have required an appropriate SoS to sign them as they are the accountable officer - but the work of producing them and managing them will have been with the Home Office, HMRC, DWP etc.
So in this case you will see the PHE's framework include statements like:
"Fulfil the Secretary of State’s duty to protect the public’s health from infectious diseases and other public health hazards, working with the NHS...…"
That is an accountability of the state - embodied in the SoS - which is discharged through DHSC and onwards to NHS or in this case to PHE. The responsibility firmly sits with PHE.
The SoS is also 'accountable' for the commissioning of every care home - but the responsibility for doing it is done by a chain of responsibilities - DHSC - NHS - CCGs/LAs
The The SoS is also 'accountable' for the procurement of every mask and other item of PPE but the responsibility for doing it is done by a chain of responsibilities - DHSC - NHS - NHS Procurement and NHS Supply Chain
Technically, the SoS is responsible for every poor quality sandwich served and bedpan not removed - but we would not expect that SoS to be spending all day and every day on those matters.
Responsibilities for planning and delivery of services are discharged through Departments or other bodies.
As mentioned by someone earlier 'technically' the PM and an SoS can be blamed for every public service issue - but there needs to be a level of pragmatism and realism applied to how these things are actually managed/discharged
Now we are on exactly the same page!!!!No, you are right. Words matter with this stuff. I should have said accountable. It’s exactly the same in finance with an Accountable Executive. However, a pandemic crisis the like of which we haven’t seen in 100 years is not a poor quality sandwich or unattended bed pan (serious though that is). There is a scale of the risk surrounding pandemic which should make it pretty high on the SOS agenda from day one of his tenure. So Hancock is the accountable executive in this case.
Any mistakes made by him or his supporting infrastructure previously should wait for the public enquiry. For now, he is accountable for the plan to get us out of this which I sincerely hope he can present soon.