Public urged to help under-pressure NHS as gruelling winter looms
ANY potential coronavirus restrictions in Wales will be “all about the NHS,” the health minister has said, as the number of people in ICU with Covid continues to increase.
Eluned Morgan was giving an update on the latest coronavirus situation during the weekly Welsh Government briefing when she highlighted how the NHS is under “incredible pressure”.
She said she was “extremely reluctant” to bring in additional restrictions ahead of Christmas but said if it was the only way to bring infection rates down, then she would not hesitate.
The Welsh Government is closely monitoring the situation in Welsh hospitals, where 75 people are currently in ICU confirmed as having the virus (as of November 5). On the same date last year, there were 48 people with confirmed coronavirus, with a further five recovering and another seven as suspected.
Ms Morgan said on Tuesday: “Clearly we’re keeping an eye on the situation.” She added it is difficult to separate the normal winter pressure and the additional pressure brought about by Covid.
She began her answer to questions by saying: “I’ve got to underline the fact that the NHS is under incredible pressure. The public do need to understand that they also have a responsibility here to take the pressure off the NHS.”
She said the Government had looked at ways of getting people to wear masks in accordance with the law, including more hard-line enforcement by police forces and local authorities.
“Frankly we need the public to come with is on this one; it’s the only way we’re going to come out of this situation,” she reiterated.
She also said she was disappointed in the take up of the flu vaccination programme this autumn, she said, highlighting that fewer people had taken up their vaccine compared to this time last year.
The flu vaccine has been extended to wider age range because ministers are concerned about the “incredible pressure” health services are under.
She said that whether restrictions
were reintroduced ahead of Christmas was “all going to be about whether the NHS is going to be overwhelmed,” Ms Morgan said.
“It’s under amazing pressure at the moment and clearly, winter hasn’t really started yet. We are slightly disappointed not more people have taken up the flu vaccine. We are really, really fearful that the pressure could overwhelm the NHS.”
She continued: “We would only extremely reluctantly extend the situation in terms of further restrictions if we absolutely have to.
“This is not something that we want to do, it’s simply something where we believe that every little tiny measure could contribute to us bringing rates down.
“I do think it’s important people understand the we are going to entering an incredibly difficult winter.” She also warned that everyone needed to take extra precautions over the festive period as people attended Christmas gatherings “where so many germs are passed round”.