How Yorkshire can help the nation to survive this crisis

From: Bryn Sage, Chief Executive, Inhealthcare, Harrogate.

CORONAVIRUS has turbocharged the take-up of technology in the NHS. As one GP put it: “We are basically witnessing 10 years of change in one week.”

It’s hard to disagree. Demand for digital health and remote patient-monitoring services is at unprecedented levels as NHS and care providers embrace new ways of working.

This is good news for patients and professionals. It is also good news for the wider economy. The Leeds City Region, where we are based, has one of the strongest medical-technology sectors in the UK.

Each and every organisation in our sector, whether public or private, has joined the national effort against coronavirus.

In the coming phases of this battle, medical technologies will become increasingly important.

The growing demand for our expertise and experience is creating a significant economic opportunity for our region and for the Government’s levelling-up agenda.

Supported by far-sighted procurement policies, a strong and successful medical technologies sector in Yorkshire can help the UK emerge from this crisis on a more-even keel.

From: Paul Willetts, Darlington Road, Stockton-on-Tees.

THE fact a reported 60 per cent of workers are concerned about returning to the workplace can come as no surprise.

The Government has been spectacularly successful in convincing people to stay at home, to the extent those with other significant health issues such as heart disease, cancer or strokes are clearly reluctant to attend their GP practice or local A&E department.

Allied to this is the current furlough arrangement, where workers receive 80 per cent of their salary (to a maximum of £2,500 per month). Being at home means no travel costs, no Pret lunches, no Costa coffee, with the added possibility of cleaning one’s own house, cutting one’s own grass and washing one’s own car. For some, the overall financial impact will be broadly neutral.

The two combined factors will provide a huge challenge to the Government to get Britain working again.

From: Peter Rickaby, Selby.

PRESIDENT Trump has taken out a loan for £2.9 trillion dollars. Perhaps our Chancellor should make an appointment with the same bank before it is too late.