The Government need to do more to protect our NHS

On Thursday 26th March at 8pm, the eerie streets that we’ve come to know during isolation were filled with heart-warming cheering and clapping for our NHS workers.

At a time that we’re forced to keep apart, this was the only way that we could show our appreciation for their continuous hard work during the global pandemic that is COVID-19. The clapping has remained a part of our weekly routines every Thursday evening, and although it has been lovely to hear, it is simply not enough.

While we can't thank our healthcare workers properly at this time, there are certain things that the Government can do to at least protect them whilst they risk their lives to protect us.

We have watched this virus spread through multiple countries since it began in China in December, and when it took Italy by storm, we were warned of how bad the virus was and how impactful it would be to us in the UK. The Government were warned, and have had since the end of February to prepare for the effect it would have on us, but clearly it wasn’t taken seriously enough. With a growing total of 103,093 confirmed cases in the UK, our NHS staff are busier than ever.

While the rest of us are self-isolating, healthcare workers are dealing with infected patients on the front-line. You would think that they would have been provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), but this was not the case. Instead of ordering a substantial amount of PPE and listening to the warning cries of desperation from other countries, the Government just gave out what they had left, and even supplied out of date ‘protection’. It was extremely hypocritical for our Prime Minister to clap for the NHS, yet still send them to work on the front-line without the correct PPE. If we don’t properly protect those who risk their lives for us, there won’t be anyone well enough to fight this virus, or any other illness for that matter.

It can’t be helped that health workers are extremely overworked at this time, but the Government need to do more for NHS staff to ensure that they remain well enough to continue saving lives. If PPE is not given to all health care workers, there will inevitably be staff shortages within hospitals, GP surgeries and other healthcare environments.

Boris Johnson has recently come out of intensive care after contracting Coronavirus and praised the many NHS workers that helped to save his life. This comes from the very same man who wanted to privatise the NHS before COVID-19 struck.

The lack of personal protective equipment for those who are dealing with Coronavirus is completely unacceptable, and more needs to be done before we lose vital workers.