Families lament government’s failure to stock up on PPE and set up contact tracing as advised in 2016 exerciseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFamilies bereaved by Covid have expressed pain at revelations that a government ex…
England’s last ‘red list’ restrictions confound South Americans
Lingering quarantine rules anger would-be travellers from seven targeted countriesEngland’s decision to maintain strict Covid travel rules for seven South American and Caribbean countries has prompted further fury and confusion in the nations which rem…
Coronavirus report warned of impact on UK four years before pandemic
Exclusive: Report from planning exercise in 2016 alerted government of need to stockpile PPE and set up contact tracing systemCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSenior health officials who war-gamed the impact of a coronavirus …
England’s Covid travel red list to be cut to a dozen countries
Ministers planning to take Brazil, Mexico and South Africa off list but decision to axe PCR test requirement hangs in balanceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageMinisters will slash England’s travel red list to about a dozen cou…
Doctors, receptionists and practice teams quit after wave of hostility over GP appointments
Fears of mass exodus as abuse by patients skyrockets over blood tests, jabs and face-to-face consultationsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageSenior doctors have warned that practice staff and GPs are quitting after an unprecede…
England’s NHS and care services need 1.1m extra staff by 2031, finds study
Health Foundation says government must spend up to £86.4bn more on services to maintain standardsThe NHS and social care services in England will need more than 1.1 million extra staff over the next decade to keep up with growing demand, research sugg…
UK PM promises bereaved families a Covid inquiry chair by Christmas
Group say in a statement they welcomed meeting but disappointed at ‘lack of urgency’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA chair will be appointed by Christmas to the public inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic and sessions shou…
Should scientists run the country?
Covid has put academics like Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance at the heart of policymaking, but electing better politicians could be the answerHow many lives would have been saved in the pandemic if the UK government had truly “followed the science”? …
Woman with Down’s syndrome loses UK abortion law case
Heidi Crowter argued that allowing pregnancy terminations up to birth if the foetus has Down’s syndrome is discriminatoryA woman with Down’s syndrome who took Sajid Javid to court over the UK’s abortion law has lost her case in the high court.Heidi Cro…
Government review finds 10% of drugs dispensed in England are pointless
Ministers call for crackdown and family doctors will be told to boost the use of social prescribingMinisters have ordered a crackdown on overprescribing of medicines after a review found one in 10 drugs dispensed by GPs and pharmacists are pointless an…