Covid-19 shows we can’t take health for granted
Yesterday marked the 72nd anniversary of the NHS, which was founded by Tredegar-born politician Aneurin Bevan. Here Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation which represents all the NHS organisations in Wales, explains why this year’s celebr
THE 72nd anniversary of the National Health Service was celebrated across the country yesterday.
So very often this is a day of celebration for one of our country’s great institutions. This year however, amid a global pandemic, it feels very different.
There is plenty the NHS can look back on over the past few months with immense pride.
We watched coronavirus sweep towards us, and saw countries like Italy struggling to cope and hospitals being overwhelmed.
Official modelling from government experts predicted the NHS was also not going to be able to cope, with simply not enough staff, beds, ventilators and even PPE.
With a herculean effort, capacity was created, beds made available, new hospitals being built in a matter of weeks, staff trained, students and retired people brought into the system.
We saw local government, the voluntary sector, the care sector, industry and individuals working together like never before.
Thanks to the public following government advice, this extra capacity was not needed to the extent we predicted.
The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing. Presented with that scientific advice and predictions, we made the best possible preparations we could so that the NHS could manage the predicted peak of the pandemic.
The courage staff have shown throughout has been amazing, as have the innovations which have kept us delivering care despite social distancing restrictions.
Many of these innovations have been in digital care, provided remotely, and these service changes have been essential.
This year we also need to recognise the efforts of every key worker and the unpaid carers who helped keep us safe.
People in Wales have also volunteered to deliver prescriptions and food parcels to some of the most vulnerable in our society. We cannot thank those people enough.
And, of course, we are not out of the woods yet. Recent events in Ogmore-by-Sea have shown cracks in some people’s resolve, but it is essential we follow the advice and guidance we have been given.
We must do all we can to avoid a second peak of coronavirus.
However, we are also now aware of the stark economic cost of the lockdown and the indirect health consequences of coronavirus.
Dental treatments, cancer screenings and non-essential surgeries had to be cancelled to prevent the spread of the disease.
Turning these services off was relatively simple, but serious. Our most significant challenge now will be how we bring them back in a way which gives the NHS and the public confidence they will be safe.
All NHS organisations in Wales are working with our partners to make this happen.
The pandemic also has massive societal implications which can’t be ignored. Some children may be left behind by not attending our schools, with some unable to utilise the technology or facilities which have been made available, increasing inequalities in our society.
To promote public health in the future, and keep people healthy for longer, we need our children to be well-educated and give them the tools to live well.
The Food Standards Agency has highlighted that seven million people in the UK are skipping meals, with 3.7 million having to use foodbanks.
If people don’t have the resources to eat healthily, then this could lead to significant health problems later in life.
We have also seen a 20% drop in GDP for the first quarter. In the NHS, we are more than aware of the health consequences such an economic downturn can bring.
The NHS can play its part, as the single largest employer in Wales, to bring some wealth and prosperity to our communities. Other public bodies also act as anchor institutions and help sustain local economies.
However, with current projections, society will not be able to sufficiently provide for all. A successful economy, with sustainable work and fair pay, helps people to maintain a healthy lifestyle, meaning they are less likely to need the NHS.
The toll on our collective mental health and wellbeing, including loneliness and social isolation, is something we simply cannot measure at this moment in time, but the demand for services is likely to be significantly higher.
While our focus remains on dealing with the direct impacts of coronavirus for now, we know that if we do not mitigate and minimise the wider implications of the pandemic, there could be dire consequences.
Widening health inequalities are already a problem for the NHS in Wales. Early evidence suggests inequalities are going to get worse, which will place an extra burden on the health and care service for many years ahead.
It is more important than ever that we remember health is about more than the NHS and social care.
We will need to redouble our efforts to promote wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle. We will need a society which gives people the tools to manage their own health and wellbeing.
If the coronavirus pandemic needs to teach the public and governments one thing, it is that we cannot continue to take our health and wellbeing for granted.