OK, not all care homes are private, some are NHS, others run by local health authorities.
Exercise Cygnus apparently highlighted that the country was not prepared for a pandemic. The government buried the report, thought it would never happen.
Council run not NHS as far as I am aware. Had to sort one out for my mother. Some owned by one to a few people* and others by companies. While identifying extra vulnerable via medication use they ignored this area where the majority will be. Probably down to testing and PPE.
Cygnus was kept secret. Seems there has been 2 not 1. Highlighted PPE lacking yet still running stocks down from Flu planning levels, Previous problems with say SARS that never got here would indicate a shortage of a number of pieces of equipment.
Testing capabilities for viral infections on pandemic scale way out of what's needed. Probably not enough for a really serious flu outbreak.
Earlier lock down would have levelled off infections earlier. Some simple controls on movement would also have probably been of benefit. I think this area is down to the can't do anything about it approach which may take too much notice of the economy and murmurs about herd immunity. The economy is bound to be seriously hit. More attention at this point might have reduced the duration.
Ventilators, ventilators over and over again when other machine shortages were highlighted earlier on - main one dialysis - some are really struggling with that currently in cases where they aren't using methods that would normally be available in a real ICU and are needed there. Even tubing etc running out. Treatment is also being carried out based on the probability of survival.
Playing the big number game. Testing - total number of tests does not relate to people tested as some prove negative so need another. Others then need diagnosis another way. A break down of 1 billion or what ever the number was pieces of PPE to what it actually contains is not so impressive. Neither is tonnes of it.
Underfunded NHS. That's been true in some ways right from the start but it was only minor things that they wouldn't be inclined to treat because of too many people wanted it. Main reason is people not liking tax increases - Blare did manage to boost pay levels but the IMF reckoned he couldn't afford it. Austerity has hit the NHS as well. Also an attempt to do things with pay that had doctors on strike. PFI used to build hospitals as can't build them any other way and probably need more.
Answer when things are pointed out - hindsight is a wonderful thing. Well we pay experts to plan carefully and I'd be inclined to think that in some cases actions may be politically bent.
*Main concern of some owned by relatively ordinary people seems to be paying the mortgage on the property they use. My mom needed to be given a few pills a day. Some turned round and said that's nursing so extra £100 a month. She also needed help bathing. It's that sort of business in many cases money money money.
