COVID inquiry: nurse anger at reckless approach of former PM
Posted 03 November 2023 - 15:30
COVID inquiry reveals government's misogyny and reckless approach to lives of older people and NHS staff as nurses call for Boris Johnson to be held accountable
Nurses are calling for the former prime minister Boris Johnson to face the consequences after the UK COVID-19 Inquiry revealed he told aides he did not ‘buy’ that the NHS was overwhelmed during the pandemic.
Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages reveal his disregard for NHS staff and older people
During a damning week of evidence, the inquiry was shown WhatsApp messages from October 2020 in which Mr Johnson stressed the need to ‘recalibrate’ away from a nationwide lockdown because it was mainly older people dying. A senior cabinet staff member also claimed ministers believed NHS staff were able to accommodate rising capacity needs.
In a message to Lee Cain, Mr Johnson’s director of communications at the time, he said: ‘I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff. Folks I think we may need to recalibrate. There are max 3m in this country aged over 80.’
Giving evidence to the inquiry on 1 November, former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara said she was repeatedly told by ministers at the time that the NHS was ‘elastic’ and they did not need to be concerned with the health service being overwhelmed.
She went on to say that she now realised ministers were defining elastic to mean the capacity of NHS staff to ‘run themselves into the ground to keep people alive’.
Government’s culture of misogyny left female nurses with inadequate protective equipment
Ms MacNamara told the inquiry she could not recall ‘one day’ when social distancing rules were followed in Downing Street. She added that a culture of misogyny led to women being overlooked during decision making around lockdowns and the NHS workforce.
Former head of NHS England Lord Simon Stevens later gave evidence on 2 November that former health and social care secretary Matt Hancock ‘took the position that he… should ultimately decide who should live and who should die’, if the NHS became overwhelmed rather than medical professionals.
Following the week of evidence, the RCN criticised the ‘cavalier and misogynistic’ attitude of the government at the time which left nursing staff at even greater risk, including with unsuitable personal protective equipment (PPE) that was not designed for women’s bodies.
Chief nurse Nicola Granger said: ‘As a 90% female profession, nursing staff will find the reminders painful. These cavalier and misogynistic attitudes left nursing staff – especially women – at even greater risk and with deadly consequences.
‘To hear that the government believed the NHS and its people were “elastic” explains the way they treated us – and why we were pushed too far. Our basic needs were overlooked and our goodwill was abused.’
However, male nurses have responded to the tweet saying they were also given unusable PPE and expected to work in dangerous conditions.
Nurse anger at lack of accountability for ‘cavalier’ politicians
Reacting to the evidence that Mr Johnson did not buy into the NHS being overwhelmed, nurse Shelley Pearce tweeted: ‘I don’t have the words to articulate quite how angry this makes me.
‘As a professional I have a code of conduct to uphold. Unlike these politicians who appear to take absolutely no accountability for their acts or omissions.’
Nurse Harry Eccles tweeted: ‘I'm lost for words. These people should never have been allowed anywhere near government.’
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