COVID inquiry: Some pandemic counter measures ‘prematurely dismissed’ in Wales, says high medic
A number one medic in Wales has instructed the COVID inquiry that some non-flu pandemic counter measures had been “prematurely dismissed”.
Sir Frank Atherton, the Welsh authorities’s chief medical officer, was giving proof to the COVID inquiry on Monday.
“They had been considered of course but discounted for various reasons and with the benefit of hindsight, discounted without sufficient consideration,” he mentioned.
“The role of these counter measures had very little evidence.
“With the good thing about hindsight, we might and may have paid extra consideration to the ‘what if’ questions.
“What if the virus was so different that we needed to go down some of these but at the time, I think it’s fair to say that those measures had been considered and somewhat prematurely dismissed.”
Sir Frank Atherton was giving proof to the COVID inquiry on Monday
Sir Frank Atherton works with the Welsh authorities’s division on public well being.
His duties additionally embrace the event of well being and care analysis in Wales and sustaining hyperlinks with different UK chief medical officers, in response to the Welsh authorities’s web site.
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Sir Frank instructed the inquiry that Welsh authorities ministers had “always been receptive” to recommendation.
“They haven’t always followed it diligently or entirely, but they’ve always listened very carefully to what I have to say,” he mentioned.
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Sir Frank mentioned “Operation Yellow Hammer” – the title given to the preparations for a no-deal Brexit – meant assets had been redeployed from pandemic preparation.
“Resources were moved to other issues,” he mentioned. “The work had all stalled.”
Dr Andrew Goodall was chief govt of NHS Wales and director normal of well being and social providers in the course of the pandemic
The former NHS Wales chief govt additionally started his proof to the inquiry on Monday.
“The EU exit arrangement ended up being a priority over and above some of the underlying resilience activities,” mentioned Dr Andrew Goodall.
Dr Goodall was chief govt of NHS Wales and director normal of well being and social providers in the course of the pandemic – a task he held since 2014.
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He was appointed the Welsh authorities’s everlasting secretary in September 2021.
First Minister Mark Drakeford and former Welsh authorities well being minister Vaughan Gething are as a consequence of give proof to the inquiry on Tuesday.