I attended the launch of the Covid-19 inquiry report by Lady Hallett and I left the viewing room with my emotions all over the place (UK in ‘worse state’ to deal with pandemic than before Covid, say experts, 19 July). I remembered my dead colleague, dead patients and a dead friend. But I also remembered our first informal meeting in the NHS, when the possibility of a new pandemic was briefly and nonchalantly discussed. That was in October 1999. Labour was in power and our focus was on innovation and modernisation across the NHS. I was a passionate enthusiast for all this new policy – a cheerful foot soldier for change. Sound familiar?
My contribution as a senior NHS change leader between 2002 and 2005 was to help build a new learning system or infrastructure that included a health observatory capable of horizon scanning for any threats to the NHS and, by default, to the public. This innovation was one arm of the new NHS University, which was designed to provide an integrated learning system across the health sector. The two areas of concern were pandemics and climate change.
We learned from the HIV/Aids work in South Africa that we must “learn faster than a virus” to stand any chance of succeeding in overcoming the impact of new viruses. How did many health department colleagues react to this? It was considered “nice to have” in civil service speak. Our attempt to speak the truth to power resulted in these organisations being expired and many of us with them.
In the report, Lady Hallett states that warnings were not heeded and that learning was not integrated into NHS culture. This has a familiar ring about it, as the earlier Kennedy report into the Bristol Royal infirmary scandal came to similar conclusions. Everything changes and everything remains the same.
Edward Rosen
Former head of learning, NHS University, 2002-05
• Prof Devi Sridhar’s response to the first report of the Covid-19 inquiry does not mention systemic racism as a factor contributing to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on some ethnic minority communities (The Covid inquiry report makes it clear: Britain was completely and fatally unprepared, 18 July). While lack of preparedness and underlying health inequalities did contribute to Britain faring poorly, they do not fully explain the disproportionate impact on people of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.
During the pandemic, the Guardian was at the forefront of reporting that doctors and nurses from these communities were more likely to die from Covid-19. Our work demonstrated that the nature of the work (in public-facing, key worker roles) and the living conditions (in urban, crowded areas) of people from these communities increased their risk of infection and death.
By avoiding the need to address systemic racism, the inquiry’s recommendations risk repeating the mistakes made during the pandemic. It is hoped that the new government will take these issues seriously and work towards tackling racial inequality.
Jabeer Butt
CEO, Race Equality Foundation
• There is no great difficulty in knowing what actions need to be taken to prevent another pandemic – merely copy what is generally done with Ebola. Isolate the first patient of whatever disease and all their contacts. Test them and close borders until they are clear.
Edward Lyon
Sandown, Isle of Wight
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