Coronavirus: Disease Control

(asked on 11th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that plans to ease the covid-19 lockdown will not adversely affect (a) staff and (b) patient safety.


Answered by
Nadine Dorries Portrait
Nadine Dorries
This question was answered on 27th May 2020

The safety of staff and patients remains paramount during the COVID-19 pandemic. NHS England and NHS Improvement regularly publish updated COVID-19 guidance to support clinicians and National Health Service managers, which is available on the NHS website at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/

The Government has been clear throughout the pandemic that it is vital to take the right steps at the right time. Decisions on when to adjust lockdown measures are guided by scientific advice and based on the following five tests that need to be met:

- The NHS is able to provide sufficient care, facilities and treatment across the United Kingdom to meet demand;

- A fall in the death rate;

- The rate of infection has decreased across all settings;

- Confidence that operational challenges, such as increasing our testing capacity and having enough personal protective equipment, are in hand; and

- Confidence that any changes will not lead to a significant second peak of infections.

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