Responding to the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry Module 4 report, BMA council chair Dr Tom Dolphin said:
“Today’s report rightly highlights how the vaccination programme was one of the few success stories in the handling of the pandemic, and how, in large part, this was due to the dedication of healthcare staff, who went to great efforts to protect the public. Hundreds of thousands of lives were saved as a result, and society was able to slowly return to normal after the devastation wrought by the pandemic.
“In particular, GPs moved heaven and earth to quickly set up vaccination programmes to protect the most vulnerable in their local communities, using their proven track record of consistently running routine vaccination services year-in-year out. It’s vital that practices’ expertise and trusted relationships with local patients are fostered, and the value of continuity of care is not disregarded.
“Overall, the vaccination effort, alongside the wider pandemic response and the need to maintain non-Covid care, required staff to go above and beyond. This pressure on the workforce and other services must be factored into any pandemic planning, a point that unfortunately seems lacking in today’s report.
“The report illustrates the need to continue investing in research and development, as well as public health, community health and prevention, and the importance of engaging with communities, to ensure health messaging reaches the right people in the right way.
“We know that there were challenges with vaccine hesitancy, and there are still issues with vaccine uptake and trust in healthcare services, particularly among minority and deprived groups, and this needs addressing not just in terms of preparing for a new pandemic but more broadly to tackle health inequalities. When it came to vaccinating staff, it was clear at the time that top-down mandatory vaccination as a condition of employment was heavy-handed and likely had the opposite effect to what was intended, reducing trust and pushing staff away. As we said at the time, we are glad that this policy was reversed and was never enacted for doctors.
“This morning we’ve seen data that suggests two-thirds of doctors don’t feel the NHS is prepared for another pandemic. It’s vital that the Government looks at the detailed findings of all modules of the Inquiry, as well as the recommendations, to ensure the country is on far better footing than it was in early 2020 when Covid first arrived.”
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Notes to editors
The BMA is a professional association and trade union representing and negotiating on behalf of all doctors in the UK. A leading voice advocating for outstanding health care and a healthy population. An association providing members with excellent individual services and support throughout their lives.