The Impact of COVID-19 on the NHS

By Prashan Balendran

Disclaimer: The information for the upcoming series of posts on the Coronavirus has been collated from a range of sources and the purpose is to provide insight into the virus from an objective lens. These posts are accurate to the time of publication; however, our knowledge of the virus is rapidly evolving, so we recommend for you to stay up to date with latest news broadcasts and research. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted our way of life. Everyone has been locked away in isolation and businesses, employment, education and finance have all been indefinitely changed. The impact of the virus however is mostly felt on the NHS, who are struggling to tackle the onslaught of cases and the increasing growth rate does not bode well for our healthcare system.

As the incidence of infection rises across the globe, it is important to appreciate the pressure that this pandemic places on healthcare systems. The NHS is becoming increasingly pressured as 1 in 4 of healthcare professionals have reportedly taken leave due to illness attributed to the coronavirus. As the healthcare system becomes short-staffed, the government has looked towards volunteers and retired healthcare professionals to support those that are still working. Volunteer schemes such as the GoodSAM project has drawn in over 700,000 volunteers with more being recruited to work in local hospitals, GPs and the NHS Nightingale hospitals across the UK. The GoodSAM scheme aims to increase the efficiency of deliveries of medicines to hospitals and to the homes of the vulnerable, as well as supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) to the frontline and helping the vulnerable with activities of daily living. Despite the overwhelming public support there is still a struggle as there are shortages of personal protective equipment. This refers to face masks, visors, gloves, aprons, gowns that are not being made or delivered quickly enough to hospitals needing them. This leads to healthcare professionals having to work without PPE, increasing the risk of viral contraction amongst those most qualified to help those affected by it.

If the availability of PPE is not improved, the NHS is at risk of losing more healthcare professionals at the frontline. Unfortunately, many have passed away due to the virus, and more will be at risk in the coming weeks. One way that the shortage of staff is being tackled is by the recruitment of 5,500 final year medical students and 18,700 nursing students into the workforce.

The scarcity of bed space has led to surgical theatres and normal wards being turned into intensive care units and the use of public spaces like the Excel London and Birmingham’s NEC as hospitals. Though the bed space has been rapidly increasing due to these measures, it is unclear whether the appropriate number of staff is available to man these new temporary hospitals. Current projections show that if the fatality rate continues to grow at the same rate over the coming week it is likely the toll will surpass 10,000 and a similar fate befalls the number of positive cases. This could result in these temporary hospitals being filled to capacity quicker than expected. Time will tell whether the country has taken the right measures to tackle COVID-19 but one certainty is that the fallout from this pandemic will be catastrophic.

References:
https://www.ft.com/content/46baab28-6def-11ea-89df-41bea055720b
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51714498
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52120804
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52114719
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-nhs-nurse-who-died-would-still-be-alive-if-given-proper-protective-equipment-11967199
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-uk-tracker-how-many-cases-are-in-your-area-updated-daily-11956258


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