Why we need a review of the government’s coronavirus mistakes

A second wave is coming, whether we like it or not. Sean O'Grady considers why a comprehensive examination of how the initial outbreak was (mis)handled will help us to prepare for what lies ahead

Britain’s failure to rapidly boost its testing capacity has been criticised throughout the pandemic (PA)

An early soundbite in the coronavirus crisis was “hope for the best, prepare for the worst”. It was soon heard less often from ministers as it became apparent, to critics at least, that the government might have had plenty of hope in its heart, but was woefully underprepared for what was to come.

That was the first wave; what of the second? Is Britain still underprepared for “the worst”?

The British Medical Association, among others, fears so, and it believes that some sort of inquiry into the errors of the immediate past would help: “A transparent rapid review of where we are and what needs to be done to prevent and prepare for a second wave ... if the public is to have confidence that the virus can be contained.”

So what might such a review usefully look at?

First, surely, is preparedness. Put simply the questions are much the same as they were a few months ago at the height of the crisis. There are plenty and they apply to local outbreaks and a national second wave, albeit in varying ways:

• Has the NHS enough intensive care beds readily available, given that regional or local demands might diverge?
• Have the hospitals enough proper ventilators? 
• Has the NHS enough personal protection equipment (PPE)?
• Have care homes, schools, frontline workers such as bus drivers, and other key personnel enough PPE?
• Are there enough testing kits?
• Is the test-trace-isolate system good enough?  
• Are there adequate supplies of treatment medicines such as dexamethasone?
• Are supply lines for medicines and food robust?
• What contingencies have been made for a no-deal Brexit?

All these and more may well be being worked on and answered around Whitehall, but it would be as well if the public could be reassured. If not, expect chaos, confusion and panic buying if things start to go wrong.

Second, we need to know now what can be done now to improve resilience among Bame communities – which we know are disproportionately affected by Covid. Again there is no public indication anything in particular is being achieved here.

Third, if the lockdown came too late in March, how do we know it will not be late again? Locally or nationally?

It would be helpful if the local conditions for a return to lockdown were made clear, not least to local councils. Who decides on a local lockdown? What are the options available? What do the police do? How will extra resources be diverted to such places. There have already been flare-ups in Weston-super-Mare, Leicester and Cleckheaton, but no sign of lockdowns or stricter social distancing rules; instead they joined in the general relaxation.

Last, it should be time for an update about what we know (and still don’t know) about the coronavirus. How easily can it be caught? Are outdoor environments more or less safe? How long in real-world conditions can the virus survive in the air, on surfaces and at different temperatures?

All good questions for a rapid review and one that will be begging for answers as the lockdown is eased, the rules grow more complicated and an underinformed public is told to exercise common sense. At the moment the impression is that our government is as unprepared as ever to deal with the next phase of the crisis. More transparency would go a long way to help control the virus, save lives and protect the NHS.