Government must strengthen local provision in fight against coronavirus - YEP letters

SOME parts of Yorkshire are bearing the worst of the coronavirus epidemic and cases are still rising everywhere.

Our country is one of the richest in the world, yet has suffered the highest level of excess deaths in Europe. The areas most at risk are deprived communities in northern England, which have been disproportionately hit by the austerity policy of the last 10 years, inflicting massive cuts at local level to health and social care provision.

But rather than strengthen local provision, the Government’s response to the emergency has been to sideline and underfund local government public health teams, NHS laboratories and Public Health England regional health protection teams.

The Government ignored the advice of its Sage committee experts and cynically exploited the epidemic as an opportunity to privatise the NHS. I have complained to my MP but mine is just one voice. If you want to save the NHS and its brave key workers who put their lives on the line, I recommend that you also write to your MP.