Why isn't there any discussion about starting to get the NHS back to normal?

[Ultrasoft]

BBC News - Coronavirus: Cancer surgery delays risk 'thousands' of deaths
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52722150

Stories like this are terrifying and then there all the less life threatening things, that have been delayed, that still lead to significant pain and reduction in quality of life, like dentistry and hip replacements, plus all the routine screening that's not being done. My smear has been postponed indefinitely, I'm not particularly worried but presumably they're usually done to the timescalefor a reason, so some important things will be missed or found too late.

Unless I've missed it there doesn't even seem to have been a suggestion regarding when or how things might start returning to normal.

I just can't imagine being in a situation where you or a loved one are waiting for cancer surgery atm

As @medievalist days - it's not news the media want to print because it's not exciting or scary or fear inducing.

Manager for medicine in nhs here. We'll be back up to near normal operating/opd activity by the end of the month. Obviously barring sickness of the medics and nurses but you'd have that any way. Majority of appts will be telephone or video rather than f2f. Though moving some f2f clinics to evening or weekends (not paying the docs extra for this just giving half a day off elsewhere in the week) to reduce the amount of people coming into the hospital.

Appointments for the next 2 months are still going to be cancelled as we're cancelling them to bring the urgent ones cancelled in March April May in first (for obvious reasons) so will still be some disruption.

But the daily fail and bbc aren't interested because doesn't go along with their EVERYTHING IS AWFUL hourly news update

‘ But why isn't it making the news? ‘

Editorial choice

I think broadcasters have been really quite limited in what they put on the main channel main. Road cases

If you want to know about pandemic beyond UK/Europe/US, you really have to hunt for it

BBC is giving huge amounts of airtime to Capt Sir Tom (not begrudging that - just using as example) and number of a Premier League footballers testing positive, but sod all to the warnings about Yemen, good information on drugs trials (heard of the new Chinese treatment?) and, as OP points out, the development of NHS so that extensive infectious disease provision can cohabit safely with everything else

Not all cancer treatment has been paused (mine hasn’t) but it is being ruthlessly risk assessed

Biggest concerns AFAIK

a) those with mild/nonspecific symptoms not presenting to GPs so cancer not ruled in/out early on
b) backlog from pausing screening programmes - heard senior oncologist saying that first month or so could be recovered without perceptible difficulty, but after that the problems do start to increase, and when 3-6 months pause, you will be looking at a considerable number of deaths (thousands) over next 2+ years

I had a routine mammogram this weekend, rescheduled from April. Some things are getting back on track

My B12 injection is weeks overdue. GP surgery are refusing to do them. I feel terrible. Just about functioning around the house. I am waiting for some syringes that I ordered off the internet, then I have to watch some Youtube videos to learn how to inject myself. Gonnna be fun

I work in nhs facilities and estates,we are working really hard to get everything safe and ready. But it doesn't just happen in a day, there are risk assessments to be done, floor markings to buy, redeployed staff everywhere that need to go back to their service. But it is happening

Discussions and plans are in place where I am (south west) as my mum has been contacted about her knee surgery and had had an echo and two MRIs during lockdown. She was contacted yesterday re blood tests and other pre op preparation.

I'm A HCP it is being discussed and planned for in my trust

But why isn't it making the news?

Because positive news rarely does ... as in the way when, on a day where there are far fewer deaths, the media focus instead on the overall total instead

There are discussions and planning every day..

My DH had a telephone hospital appointment yesterday and I understand our Hospital Trust has restarted some routine operations. My SiL in a different area recently received an actual hospital appointment for 4th June, she's had several telephone appointments during lockdown.

It was In the news three weeks ago. It's happening. But it's not quick and that's because of stuff like changing practices to accommodate social distancing, no more full waiting rooms. And of course every face to face clinic will need lots more PPE......

Definitely being worked on and has been for a while where I work. Cancer treatment continued during the initial stages and now outpatient clinics are starting (some by telephone). Lots and lots of work been going on behind the scenes.