Andy Richardson: 'Hidden cost of Covid-19 is becoming apparent'
Slowly, more horrors of Covid-19 are making themselves known.
As the R rate stabilises and the number of deaths remains comparatively low, healthcare professionals return to the tasks they once had.
Cancer treatments are resuming, hips are being replaced, dementia patients are receiving more attentive care. The hidden cost of Covid-19 is becoming apparent. Vast resources were assigned to care that prevented the NHS being overwhelmed during the peak of the crisis, with grave costs elsewhere.
The enforced separation between dementia patients and members of their family has caused a deterioration in health. The reduction in cancer treatments had an obvious, negative effect. The inability of surgeons to carry out surgery led to ever-lengthening waiting lists.
The Government, of course, was placed on the horns of a dilemma. It had no choice but to divert resources. Now, however, it is time to address that diminution of standards.
Lest we forget, Covid-19 is claiming the lives not only of those who contract it but also of those who miss out on life-saving treatment.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock must address those issues immediately. In the case of care for dementia patients, he can confer ‘key worker’ status to family members, allowing visits to resume. Issues surrounding loneliness, isolation and a lack of care must be tackled.
The killing of George Floyd during the pandemic brought the issue of racism into full glare. It is obvious that while the nation has made progress, racism remains prevalent.
Uncomfortable conversations, the humble acceptance of failings and a root and branch review of many institutions are necessary if we are to change and fight both overt and unconscious racism.
The police watchdog is among those examining the issue. The fact that black people are 40 times more likely to be stopped and searched – with 22,000 young black men stopped and searched during lockdown and 80 per cent of those released without action – tells its own story.
Against that backdrop, Stormzy is a role model. Having donated £10 million to black British organisations and provided scholarships to students at Cambridge University, he decorated a student’s bedroom after he’d earned an A+ report. He is the best of British.
