Doctors are seeking tougher virus measures

Doctors’ leaders are calling for stricter measures to control the spread of coronavirus after new data showed 24,632 hospital staff were absent through Covid-19 sickness of self-isolation on Boxing Day.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “These statistics show the BMA’s repeated warnings about the impact of the Omicron variant on the NHS workforce being realised.

"Not only are doctors incredibly worried about the rising number of people in hospital with Covid-19 but also the health service’s ability to provide vital care to all patients.”

He added: “24,000 staff off sick with Covid or selfisolating is the equivalent of 178 staff off work at each acute hospital trust in England.

“At the very time the NHS is standing up hundreds of extra beds in ‘Nightingale’ units to prepare for a surge in hospital admissions, the number of staff absences is rising rapidly. With Omicron now spreading so rapidly in the community the pressure on the NHS, through staff absences and rising hospitalisations, is becoming unsustainable.

"Further public health measures are needed urgently to prevent the health service being completely overwhelmed.”

Among the extra measures the BMA is calling for are: Limits to social mixing and reducing contacts between households; cancellation of large social gatherings; mask wearing in all indoor public settings when people are not eating or drinking; the reintroduction of social distancing; the re-introduction of universal mask wearing and social distancing in schools and financial support for businesses and individuals hit by any new measures.