There are definitely a whole host of learnings to be taken from this pandemic disaster. Just looking at Beths ‘starter’ list demonstrates that.
The society we are living in today has developed over decades to a bureaucratic world as we move from manufacturing to service industry. Layers of office sergeants, captains, generals and commanders have managed to water down responsibility, block efficient decision making and make it incapable to put its actions into play effectively (eg lockdowns, testing, PPE, business protection schemes). And this is never more prevalent than in the machine of government (and probably the NHS Trusts now as well). Businesses drive for improvement, analysing process and removing/improving inefficiencies. My view (and its just a view which I am open to being disproved) is that the machine of government, behind the party of the day, has no interest in such change. But SB is right at the end of the day the current holding government has to live and be measured by its decisions - even if it is only with the toolbox/machinery you have now.
I think people (including me) underestimate the task of understanding the PPE requirements, the needs of every end-user and the ability to get what is needed to the right place at the right time. Managing what levels we have, how to get them fairly distributed to everyone and how to re-stock for ongoing distribution. Distribution out has to work with information requests in. If that is poor, or over-requesting, then equalising distribution decisions have to be made. Then as has been said, getting stock in when the whole world is trying to get it must be a huge mountain.
Testing seems to me to be the area we have completely failed. We seem, from a simple outsider, to not have the resources to test and process adequate numbers. Experts like Beth would be able to answer why other countries have better facilities than we do, or better facilities to handle such requirements in a pandemic. It is certainly something I would like to better understand as countries with better testing regimes and monitoring have seemed to have had lower death rates (even Beths daily app reporting seems like it should be a national requirement to collate adequate information on virus spread and to manage appropriate responses to the right areas of need).
I’m also interested in our population numbers to sq km/mile and infection/death rates. We are being compared with countries with lower population concentrations and while cities and central conurbations are clearly hit hardest we seem to have an abundance of those areas compared to other countries. Or perhaps my area of question is complete rubbish. Anyone with good comparisons?
One thing is for sure, things will need to change. We seem no better or no worse than other hard hit countries - and that’s not good enough for me. Lives have been lost! We have to understand what failed and be strong enough to fix it once this complete disaster is through and we have counted the terrible loss of life. Blame games are not good enough. Solid understanding and effective change has to happen to ensure we are not only able to deal with another pandemic (should it happen) but also to be a country that can work efficiently through its government machine, through our NHS and any other national bureaucracy.
We haven’t done ourselves proud. Our government machine hasn’t done us proud. I’m not sure our NHS Trusts have done their best. But I’m bloody sure our NHS paramedics, nurses, doctors and other frontline staff have been doing their best.