Shocking, totally unexpected surprise

[sasguru]

There really is no limit to my delusions, is there.

There you go. FTFY.

[sasguru]

To paraphrase slightly - "There will be 20,000 dead or, if we do nothing, 50,000 at least since the NHS will be overwhelmed". There are roughly 2000 empty ICU spaces right now, so clearly the NHS, while ridiculously overworked, is not overwhelmed.

If you were at all data/mathematically literate, which you've never shown any indication of being, you would understand that the EXCESS deaths for NON-COVID conditions are at a 20 year high.
What's happened is that the underfunded NHS has simply pivoted to dealing with Covid, converting many normal beds to ICU, and almost everything else has been left to hang, lots of cancer treatment for example.
Complete contrast to Germany which had the capacity to cope with all outcomes from the start.
But as long as you 3rd raters tug your forelock to anyone with a posh accent, however stupid they are (and this country is the only one to have the PM and 2 health ministers get Covid), the continuing decline of the UK is guaranteed.

Still, never mind, musn't grumble.

[sasguru]

It's been going wrong for decades. League tables based on GCSE results meant that schools were virtually compelled to teach pupils how to pass exams rather than teach the actual subject itself. We went from a system of pupils learning how to learn to pupils learning how to do past papers so that they could reapply that to this year's exams. There are also too many pupils pushed into degrees; they don't differentiate any more and are simply a route to debt, both for the pupil and the successive governments who end up footing the bill for the money and administering the loan scheme.

We need to facilitate the elite in all parts of society to be the best they can - become our new Brunels, Whittles and Turings wherever they come from. The current education system doesn't allow for that and nor does society as a whole.

So what precisely is the reason for YOUR lack of critical analysis?

[LondonManc]

So what precisely is the reason for YOUR lack of critical analysis?

CBA. I've got more interesting things to engage in than thinking too much about AtW's political worries. Like how many blades of grass are in our back garden, reading spam messages from older relatives on Facebook about how something's going to burn my hard drive if I open it, timing how quickly paint dries and so on.

[AtW]

Apart from the obvious (and idiotic) question what does the economy collapsing have to do with infection rates and/or the additional loading on the NHS?

No, don't bother, I'm not really interested.]

I would have thought anybody would be interested as to why economy collapsed and how it can recover, especially high paid workers/contractors, especially given that there is a clear causal link between the virus and collapse - the only reason Nhs coped (those 2000 free beds) is because of extreme economy shutdown, that and very high death rate which frees up beds.

This could have been avoided if Govt was prepared for pandemic AND activated those plans at the end of January - would have been great investment of money, don’t you think? If you don’t think so, then you’ll have plenty of time to think it over whilst being out of contract, even though given how dumb you are it won’t teach you valuable lessons.

[AtW]

So what precisely is the reason for YOUR lack of critical analysis?

About time this forum implemented minimum IQ test for posters, set the bar at low 80 - should deal with a bunch of known coVidiots who seem t0o overlap well with Brexidiots

[Mordac]

Quite right. Mustn't grumble.
The government was late to shut down, did not plan for enough PPE or medical equipment, did not plan or execute enough testing.
Compared to many other countries the response and organisation has been 3rd rate.
But never mind, mustn't grumble.

We should have put you in charge. That way something else would have gone catastrophically wrong as well, and we could have had a good laugh at your expense. I hope you'll be able to make use of your Masters Degree in Hindsight Studies at some point...

[Mordac]

A bit harsh to call Raab that, but fair.

More dead now from Covid than Iraq war, damage in the hundreds of billions at least - a full public inquiry is necessary, obviously.

Agreed. Blame China. Move on...

[AtW]

Agreed. Blame China. Move on...

What China got to do with lack of pandemic preparedness in the UK?

Pandemic means all foreign supply chains will be no good - that is obvious basic assumption, necessitating large up to date local stockpile plus detailed plans to deploy local production at short notice: PPE, ventilators, manufacturing capacity for vaccines, contact tracing, how to shutdown if needed etc.

[Mordac]

If you were at all data/mathematically literate, which you've never shown any indication of being, you would understand that the EXCESS deaths for NON-COVID conditions are at a 20 year high.
What's happened is that the underfunded NHS has simply pivoted to dealing with Covid, converting many normal beds to ICU, and almost everything else has been left to hang, lots of cancer treatment for example.
Complete contrast to Germany which had the capacity to cope with all outcomes from the start.
But as long as you 3rd raters tug your forelock to anyone with a posh accent, however stupid they are (and this country is the only one to have the PM and 2 health ministers get Covid), the continuing decline of the UK is guaranteed.

Still, never mind, musn't grumble.

The NHS isn't underfunded. If it is short of funds, it's because it funds too many people like this:
Health boss Siobhan McArdle resigns saying 'life's too short' - BBC News

If you're feeling sorry for her, try some of these:
Departing CEO received GBP53k overtime payment | HSJ Local | Health Service Journal

Ex-James Cook hospital boss claimed GBP149 parking tickets on expenses - despite GBP300,000 salary - Teesside Live

Also, if you've ever been involved in selling into the public sector, you'd know that prime-time is the 3 months from January to the end of March, because they are so desperate to blow their remaining budgets on any old crap you could take them to lunch and sell them a truck-load of whatever you've got hanging around in the warehouse from last year.
Somebody needs to take a chainsaw to elements of the public sector, or this sort of screw-up will happen again. You can blame government all you like, but it's the civil service that runs the country, and they're not changing for anybody. The best bit is, they don't get sacked, and if anyone shouts at them they get to sue for bullying. The whole sh!t-show is beyond-belief fubared, but if you know better, why not have a crack? You couldn't make things any worse. Although I reckon you could.