Jeremy Hunt looks absolutely terrified

[MidsummerMeadow]

Just watched this and I’m even more concerned now. FFS.

I don't think he seems terrified at all.

He does seem quite short of breath at times though. Wonder if he's feeling a bit peaky.

Maybe he’s just terrified at the idea of getting ill and needing the care of NHS staff when he’s spent years fucking them over.

They have decided the need for herd immunity and the long term protection of society as a whole is more important than protecting vulnerable people now.

Spot on. That is exactly what is being allowed to happen. The govt could be stamping on it now and nipping it in the bud, as other countries have done, but they have chosen not to. They want us all to get it, just not all at the same time.

Spot on. That is exactly what is being allowed to happen. The govt could be stamping on it now and nipping it in the bud, as other countries have done, but they have chosen not to. They want us all to get it, just not all at the same time

Obviously that has massive and horrific unthinkable implications for vulnerable groups, but perhaps the thinking is that on a population level that's what is naturally supposed to happen.

I have heard it being discussed that the countries that have 'nipped it in the bud' are merely just delaying it a bit longer.

@stuffedpeppers I had the same thought as the previous poster, but I think it's more the fault of the government for under-resourcing the NHS than anything else - certainly not of the people on the front line. It's clearly under pressure after years of austerity. Given this has gone down under the Conservative's watch, they have good reason to be worried.

stuffedpeppers - You have my complete respect. I recently let my Nurse registration lapse a few months ago but would consider re- registering to help if they start calling for that. I'm surprised the NMC aren't exploring that now, or maybe they are. I currently work within an NHS setting , a service which could mostly be provided over the phone. we have struggled to even get alcohol gel and anti-bac wipes to wipe down between clients. I brought my own supply of Dettol wipes in today and was glad I had them after my last client of the day had a coughing fit and wiping sputum from his tracheostomy.

*Conservatives'

He talks about 5% getting the virus. But the government has talked about up to 80%.
It's hard not to conclude that the government wants to reduce the number of old and disabled.

@stuffedpeppers I don't think anyone could accuse NHS workers of being shit, just it's become more and more obvious of late that it's been grossly underfunded for years.

I actually agree with him, never thought I'd see the day for that. Is there anything that could over ride our governments actions/decisions? Can the WHO take any sort of action?

@stuffedpeppers NHS workers are bloody good. But there aren't enough nurses and doctors, as you must know.

Or enough beds, ventilators, intensive care facilities, you name it. Barely a third compared to other countries.

He’s a good man.

nowhere has enough - even the italians with the highest number of ITU beds per head of population

I think it's pretty terrifying to watch him in this.

Trying very hard to walk the party line, and unable to do so at all convincingly. And he is the politician with probably the greatest insight into our health system today.

And I agree with one of his main concerns. Where is the evidence for what they are doing?

I’ve had elderly family in hospital recently and the staff have been awesome. The system is incredibly stretched, understaffed and underfunded but individual staff members went above and beyond to make up for it. The A&E staff were so kind dealing with a relative with dementia and other illnesses who was brought in by ambulance in the early morning and had to stay there for hours until they found him a place on a ward. They were lovely to his wife as well, bringing her food and drink because she couldn’t leave his side without him becoming distressed. When he was eventually found a place in a ward and no porter turned up to take him the A&E staff took him over themselves because his wife didn’t want to leave him until he was settled on the ward and they didn’t want her to have to stay there any longer. There’s been 10 years of one party in power (ignoring the Lib Dems) and during that time funding has been decreased in real terms. You can’t run a national system on good will alone.

The point of monitoring the crisis is to see which countries have coped with the crisis and how.

Strangely, nations with first-world health systems have lower death rates.

You don't say.

the NHS is no better or worse than anywhere else - tell that to the helpless patient in this country who has no chance of the ITU bed she'd get in France, Italy and the US, not to mention Asia and China.

The Govt's frightened because Britain has noticed that the NHS, not Corona, is granny's greatest enemy.

‘the politician with probably the greatest insight into our health system today.’

The politician with probably the greatest responsibility for the state of our health system today.

@stuffedpeppers - well, 30 beds in Italy is better than the 6 in the UK; if you had corona where would you want to be treated?

The politician with probably the greatest responsibility for the state of our health system today.

Wrong. That dubious honour belongs to George Osborne, who is now the part-time editor of a free newspaper.

Osborne, Hunt and David Cameron can share the responsibility but Hunt actually wielded the knife.

He may be terrified that he's defying Boris - but that's besides the point. I believe what he says is correct. Acting early is essential. Boris is fucking insane and negligent.

Where did you get 'looks terrified' from?

He's never looked any different. He's always come across as a fairly nervous and uncomfortable public speaker

He has lost his smugness.

Very true, Glowcat, he’s a complete bastard for his handling of the NHS, I have a friend who is a sister in A&E, he went to visit her hospital, not surprisingly no staff wanted to meet him, they are disgusted by him

Wow he just said everything that I’ve been feeling and thinking!