The Health & Care Bill-A Thread
The Bill returns to the Commons tomorrow with lots of attention understandably on the Tories last minute change on the care costs cap which will see the poorest pay more, but there are plenty of other things in it we would like to see changed (1/6) The Bill splits up the NHS into 42 areas each led by an Integrated Care Board which, as things currently stand, private companies will be allowed to sit on. We want to stop that and ensure that private companies do not get a say in how the NHS is run (2/6)

Here is a reminder of some of the failings in the past 12 months that have led to so many infections & deaths-

1.The PM missed 5 cobra meetings at start
2. The Government ignored warnings about pandemic preparations
3. They allowed ppe stockpiles to run down (1/10) 4. Delayed lockdown number one
5. Delayed lockdown number two
6.Delayed lockdown number three
7. Ignored Sage advice on a circuit break lockdown for 6 weeks
8.Allowed people to enter the UK without checks
9.Stopped contract tracing in March (2/10)

A thread on testing capacity-the Government have long said they intend to have testing capacity up to 500k a day by 31st Oct-capacity has been increasing rapidly in recent weeks from 248k a day at start of Sept to 310k at start of Oct to 467k on 28th (up 98k in 5 days).But..(1/8) ..testing capacity is theoretical. The Govt webpage says "Testing capacity is a projection based on reports from labs on how many lab-based tests they have capacity to carry out each day based on availability of staff and resources."
So its a projection,not what is happening(2/8)

Inexplicably missed 5 COBRA meetings at the start
Inexplicably ignored warnings about pandemic preparations
Inexplicably allowed PPE stockpiles to run down
Inexplicably delayed lockdown
Inexplicably allowed people to enter the UK without checks
(1/6) Inexplicably stopped contact tracing in March
Inexplicably discharged people into care homes without first testing for coronavirus
Inexplicably allowed some PPE to be exported
Inexplicably ignored WHO advice to "test test test"

(2/6)

For those of you who have been following the daily tweets pointing out how the figures for the number of people tested for coronavirus each day have disappeared, the new Gov stats site has the following message (1/6) It says "The ‘people tested’ measure was initially used to avoid counting one person tested several times in a short space of time. It no longer usefully reflects the volume of tests carried out as, for example, a healthcare worker receiving their second, third..." (2/6)

Some thoughts on the first four weeks of the data on testing and tracing-
We have data on the number of people tested in pillars - 1 & 2- it’s a lot less than the total testing capacity figure and a lot less than the 100k people a day promised (1/13) On average 15% of people were waiting more than 48 hours to get their test results back from regional testing centres, although that has improved significantly in the last few weeks (2/13)

I received this from a constituent last night who has a family member who has just been put on a ventilator- please read it, it is incredibly powerful and moving. It is by far the most compelling case I have read about why we need Parliament up and running again (1/12) People will want answers as to why their loved ones are suffering. They want and deserve the full picture;

"Here we are, desperately sad, braced and helpless for the 2 week state of horror and suspended animation. He doesn't deserve this and neither does anyone else. “(2/12)

There has been a lot of misinformation put out about what happened today in Parliament- we were presented with an attempt by Boris Johnson to bounce MPs into backing a deal, without the necessary legal assurances,actual legislation and without the detail on the economic impact It was the political equivalent of buying a house without first examining the deeds. Why wont the Government publish their economic impact assessment? Isnt it right that we should know the consequences of what we are supporting before any final vote?