ELECTION 2021: 'Lessons must be learned' from coronavirus pandemic
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NOT being a career politician affords me the luxury of being frank with you, says Freedom Alliance candidate for Banffshire and Buchan Coast Jason Duncan, so I am going to start by saying something that many consider blasphemous – the NHS is not perfect.
Over the past year the NHS has undergone the sternest test it has ever faced, and it would be irresponsible not to examine how it performed.
In the best interests of the NHS we must learn whether decisions would be made differently, and outcomes be improved, if faced with another pandemic.
To acknowledge that mistakes may have been made is completely rational.
For example, we cannot forget the tsunami of deaths suffered last year when hospitals discharged many undiagnosed Covid-19 patients into care homes. We must examine this decision to see if lessons can be learned.
I would push for a commission to investigate the whole pandemic response by the NHS, Department for Health and Social Care, and government in general.
Remember, when a government minister puts the NHS on a pedestal, they aren’t doing so in the best interest of doctors, nurses, or patients, they’re doing so to protect the government from scrutiny.
The NHS will continue to be severely tested by many health conditions, such as undiagnosed cancers, that have amassed over the past year.
As we leave the pandemic behind us, we must also leave behind the narrow focus on Covid-19.
Improving general health through natural means, a balanced diet, exercise, and fresh air – all of which have been denied by the blunt instrument of lockdown – will help ease pressure on the NHS.
A study published by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information in the USA highlighted a link between co-morbidities, Vitamin D3 deficiency and increased risk from respiratory illness.
I would push for more scientific funding into studying how we can improve general health.
