A “real sprint” will be needed before winter to protect the NHS from the combined threats of seasonal flu, Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, the Health Secretary has said.
Steve Barclay warned hospitals face “very serious challenges” ahead of an expected influx of patients and the health system cannot afford for the Government to drag its heels on the issue. Mr Barclay told The Telegraph: “We have very real challenges coming down the track in the autumn and winter, and as far as I’m concerned there needs to be a real sprint within Whitehall, and particularly in the Department of Health, to get ready for September.
“Part of my role is to prepare for reasonable worst-case scenarios. Obviously those pressures can come in different forms. It might be you get a bad flu, it may be Covid rates are higher than we would expect or like.
