UK will face a prolonged period of excess deaths after operations were cancelled and people avoided the National Health Service (NHS) during the Covid-19 pandemic, experts have said.
Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England and Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser made the observation in a report on the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, The Telegraph reported.
The report, published on Thursday by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), was written for the future CMOs, National Medical Directors and public health leaders facing new pandemics.
The introduction to the report said that it was not a “definitive narrative” of the pandemic to date, but it was the first comprehensive run-through of events and implications, which occurred in last two and a half years.
The report noted that General practitioners (GPs) were moving to remote appointments and the postponement of elective surgeries.
There were “limits” to how far telephone and video GP appointments could replace face-to-face appointments. In many cases the balance of risks and benefits still favoured remote support,” the report said.
While discussing measures put in place to respond to surging Covid patients, it said, “Shifting to remote consultations, discouraging unnecessary health setting presentations and asking that those with specific symptoms avoid healthcare settings unless necessary has been an effective way to reduce potential transmission risks and additional burden during a time of significant pressure.”
The report said that this trend must be balanced with a risk that health seeking behaviours were adjusted to such a degree that there was significant unmet need, which had impact on mortality and morbidity.
The experts noted that some people who would have come to the hospital did not come because of the perceived risk of being in hospital during Covid-19.
They said that delays in patients coming forward for help, reduction in preventative medication and the cancellation of surgeries and screenings will later lead to more severe non-Covid illness.
“The combined effect of this will likely lead to a prolonged period of non-COVID excess mortality and morbidity after the worst period of the pandemic is over,” it added.
According to the recent data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, there have been nearly 900 more cancer deaths since the beginning of September than would be expected at this time of year.
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