UK in ‘worse state’ to deal with pandemic than before Covid, say experts

The National Covid Memorial Wall on the Southbank in London in 2022. Photograph: Alberto Pezzali/AP

The UK is probably less well-equipped to cope with a pandemic than it was before Covid because of deteriorating health inequalities, the crisis in the NHS and pressures in care homes, leading experts have warned.

The head of the British Medical Association (BMA) said that the overall situation meant the nation would be “still massively underprepared” when a new pandemic hit.