At every turn of the #Covid_19 crisis, the Govt has centralised decision-making into command & control with a preference for big blunt schemes over sophisticated local strategies & expertise- often with huge real life consequences for people not getting response they need. (1/?)
This virus is not hitting everywhere and everyone equally, we know that geographic, demographic and socio-economic factors compound its spread. This calls for intelligent, adaptive locally-led responses, but the Govt has held a tight grip on initiative throughout.
The centralised response started w/ Govt decision not to deploy Civil Contingencies Act, which set out clear roles, responsibility & resources for public bodies incl #localgov in an emergency. The Covid Act has more draconian powers for the executive & no defined local role.
The central-local disconnect is apparent w/ the NHS callout for volunteers, which got an overwhelming response but failed to translate it into action. Meanwhile community groups & councils set up volunteer networks from Day 1 to distribute food & support google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theg…
National leaders love the photo opp of a “grand projet”- at huge cost & effort the Nightingale hospitals were more media-worthy than clinically required. Hundreds of smaller scale measures to shield our care homes might have saved more lives, but wouldn’t have got as much press.
And of course there is the ongoing testing issue. First, Govt set up new testing centres rather than use existing laboratory capacity in universities nationwide. Then a big 100k target (still never reached) drove quantity of tests overall at expense of matching capacity w/ need..
