Thank you for your kind words about Leo
AS you may know, my husband Leo died earlier this week. His death was not Covid related but I am all too aware that, with its added impact, too many people have lost loved ones in the past two years.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all who have offered me their condolences and kind words. Leo would have been astonished by the coverage his death has received and it has meant a lot to hear how well regarded he was by so many people.
I am grateful for the care and treatment Leo received from our local GP, the district nurses, other healthcare professionals and the local hospital but I am very aware of how much pressure our NHS is under throughout the country. The waiting lists were at a record high before Covid – and they now stand at almost six million.
And the most recent decisions, forced on us by the Omicron variant, will make these problems even worse.
Whenever I find myself up close to serious illness and death, I am forcefully reminded how much more devastating and destructive it would be to now be presented with a huge bill for Leo’s treatment as we might well be without our NHS.
I am also very conscious that NHS pressures were created or exacerbated by the austerity programme pursued by successive Tory governments since 2010.
With the NHS already seriously weakened we were then hit by the long-forecast pandemic, and by our government’s failure to competently address the problems it posed, until the arrival of the vaccine programme for which the world’s scientists deserve the credit. We now need to move towards living with Covid.
We know that it is primarily airborne, so wearing masks in enclosed spaces or where there are a large number of people crowded together helps to slow the spread. Ensuring that buildings are well ventilated can also help. So can making sure that, when we are going to be mingling with other people, we take a Covid test beforehand and, if that test is positive, then stay home to help limit how much we spread the virus through our community. And, most importantly, if we are able to do so, getting vaccinated and having the booster.
Even today this vital message is being obscured by the shambolic approach of the Prime Minister and his failure to forcefully advocate the advice he is receiving from the scientific community.
While his Government is mired in a deep political mess entirely of its own making, the country is on the verge of an Omicron tidal wave that could overwhelm our NHS.
It is our national misfortune that we have the worst possible leader at the worst possible time.
There has been one self-inflicted distraction after another just when we needed this government to focus on the booster roll-out and any further action to safeguard lives and livelihoods.
But just because the Prime Minister seems incapable of following the rules – even those he is responsible for – it doesn’t mean that we should throw caution to the wind.
It is the responsibility of all of us to prevent the further spread of Covid and protect the NHS. I would urge you to wear a mask when needed, take a test when required (provided they are available) and get your vaccinations and booster as soon as you’re able.
And, in these troubled times, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and safe Christmas and a brighter new year.