The Academy of Medical Sciences was commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer for England to look into the issues more likely to affect the NHS this winter and to put forward recommendations that would mitigate them.
BTS contributed to this work with evidence and proposals, which we were pleased to see recognised in the final report published by the Academy: "COVID-19: Preparing for the future - Looking ahead to winter 2021/22 and beyond"
Professor Jon Bennett, Chair of BTS, reflected:
"The Academy's report makes it clear that this winter will be like no other we have seen before in the NHS. We expect a resurgence of respiratory infections in a population with less immunity and continuing COVID-19 admissions, compounded by a respiratory specialist workforce understaffed and working at full throttle for over 18 months with little respite.
"But we can be better prepared for it, and for future winters. I am very pleased to see that in its recommendations, the report includes a number of the short- and long-term solutions that we shared with the Academy and which we have been advocating for some time.
"These include the need for better infrastructure to treat people with respiratory disease while allowing for robust infection control, increasing uptake of flu and other vaccinations in at risk and vulnerable groups and the focus on reducing health inequalities, which we know are a cause of worse outcomes for COVID-19 and other conditions.
"Importantly, it is good to finally see recognised in a national report, that the health system suffers from chronic shortages of key specialist staff groups such as the respiratory workforce, which is essential in both the pandemic and winter response. We welcome the recommendations to build immediate capacity in the NHS and the long-term advice to expand its workforce, although care will be needed not to compromise on its skills."
London, London WC1N 2PL
05/10/2023 15:03:38
British Thoracic Society
