To those who (understandably) see the huge potential health benefits of mining a vast NHS dataset - yes, absolutely, this could do enormous good. But you simply cannot use individual medical data without informed consent. This is a rushed, sneaky, non-transparent data grab.
Of course we’re meant to be reassured by @NHSX that all data will be anonymised. But data breaches have occurred before, notably in 2014. And if it’s all so benign, why the rush, why the secrecy, why the lack of transparency? Harvesting health records on the sly is wrong.
The elephant in the room throughout Cummings' testimony is precisely how Whitty, Vallance & others were advising the PM last March. On 12 Mar they abandoned test & trace *and* said shielding was not yet necessary.
On self-isolation of elderly and infirm, Whitty stated on camera on 12 Mar: "While we will need to move to that stage, we do not think this is the right moment along the pandemic to do so. But that point will come."
Incredibly, on 12 Mar the *only* advice aimed specifically at protecting those over 70 & with pre-existing health conditions was not to go on cruises.
It's now perfectly clear that @BorisJohnson is bringing back local lockdowns. Only this time by stealth. Without even *talking* to local community & public health leaders first.
Oh - & by making the guidance advisory only - paving the way for future 'blame residents' spin (1/3)
Every behaviour scientist & public health expert will tell you the only way out of a pandemic is *together* - with public support of & buy in to the necessary restrictions (lockdowns, travel bans etc).
Mixed messaging is disastrous - it erodes trust & public confidence. (2/3)
Yet here we are, 16 months down the line, with a govt *still* spinning, *still* obfuscating, *still* putting its popularity above people's lives.
That isn't merely weak.
It's criminal.
It will *inevitably* lead to more avoidable deaths from Covid.
Here is how you imagine the 150k lives lost to Covid.
It’s just taken me 10 mins to walk the half kilometre length of the national @CovidMemorialUK wall, directly opposite parliament.
Each heart represents one of those 150k lost, those families changed forever.
Please share 💔
Here is St Thomas’s Hospital, directly behind the memorial wall. Tommy’s staff have been out painting hearts, honouring patients and their own colleagues who caught and died from Covid at work.
I wanted to honoury four brave colleagues from @OUHospitals - two porters, one nurse & one administrator - all of whom died from Covid last year. Thank you Philomina, Oscar, Elbert and Peter for your immense courage and selflessness.
Just how is it that the @TheDA_UK has logged hundreds of reports from doctors describing being threatened, bullied or warned for speaking up over PPE failures - yet mysteriously @NHSEngland, @DHSCgovuk & hospital trusts all seem to deny any problems? (1/4) bmj.com/content/372/bm…
This important piece of journalism from @mancunianmedic gets to the heart of it. Over 1500 reports from doctors of trusts failing to provide them with proper PPE. Nearly 900 deaths of health & care staff. And yet - absolute stony silence from those at the top of the NHS. (2/4)
Time & again the government & our NHS employers have singularly failed to be honest about PPE shortages - not to mention the excess risk to self of being a frontline member of staff.
It's totally wrong. It's treating staff as expendable. It's the opposite of NHS candour. (3/4)