The Hallett Inquiry: Eminence-based medicine Part 6

Fast and large

We continue with our series of brief posts focussing on the transcript of Professor Dame Angela McLean’s testimony on November 23rd, 2023.

Dame Angela was a leading light in SAGE and is currently the UK Government's Chief Scientific Advisor.

We have seen that the government apparatus, its advisors, modellers and just about anyone who has given evidence so far are disinterested in doing what they should do - getting ready for the next time. 

It seems we don't want to learn from the evidence-free decisions made this time, their catastrophic consequences and attempts to retrofit, cover-up, backpedal and sundry escape and evasion tactics we have documented.

The biggest and strongest pointer is that the grandees are not planning robust prospective studies or even better trials to test the many hypotheses surrounding interventions to minimise (not obliterate) the impact of respiratory virus circulation and the detailed study of the consequences of any decisions made.

UK policies changed over 200…