Predictable

What is also predictable is the response to the winter crises

In October 2020, we wrote about how for 20 years, ‘influenza’ had been blamed for putting hospitals under pressure in winter. And how this fear had been substituted by ‘Covid’. 

We used data from an answer to a Parliamentary Question by Philip Dunne, MP, on the number of unplanned accident and emergency attendances resulting in admission and a primary diagnosis of respiratory condition between 2010 and 2017.

Predictably, the data shows the worst month was December in six out of the seven years - the other was January.  ‘On average, 30,000 respiratory admissions occur in December, roughly double August.’ 

In October last year, we noted, ‘the question on everyone's tongue right now is will the NHS be in crisis this winter?’ 

However, everything would be OK as the Health Secretary, Theresa Coffey - remember her -  had a ‘laser-like’ focus on the NHS problems. 

The plan involved increasing 999 call handlers, and 7,000 extra hospital beds would appear this winter. 

Now guess what? Predictably th…