Listen to the full interview here.

DAUK’s Dr Jenny Vaughan on LBC News discussing the government’s latest covid-19 plans.

“The message of Christmas is actually about love, and love can be demonstrated by staying at home and protecting your family and others.”

“We have had nearly 60,000 deaths. We have had hundreds of healthcare workers die from looking after people and being exposed to covid through their job, Please think about the healthcare workers.”

Dr Jenny Vaughan, DAUK co-chair, spoke to LBC News about the Government’s handling of the COVID crisis and the vaccine rollout.

“We want to ensure there’s an ICU bed for everyone in the country who needs it. The Government has a duty to minimise numbers of staff going off sick because they’re getting ill – they’re still stretched to the limit.”

“Those who are most vulnerable, and those who are from black and ethnic minority origins, who we know if they get COVID they’re far more likely to die from it, it is very important that these staff who are on the frontline with COVID, should absolutely be a top priority for the vaccine.”

DAUK’s Vice-Chair, Dr Jenny Vaughan, spoke to LBC News about how the government has handled the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

“We want to ensure there’s an ICU bed for everyone in the country who needs it. The situation is the Government has a duty to reduce the numbers of staff going off sick, because they’re getting ill. They’re still stretched to the limit with their bed to staff ratios.”

“The direct face-to-face staff who are the most vulnerable, and those who are of black or ethnic minority origin – we know if they get COVID they’re far more likely to die from it, and so it is very important that these staff who are working face-to-face with COVID should absolutely be a top priority for the vaccine.”

Dr Jenny Vaughan, DAUK Vice-Chair

Hospitals are running out of oxygen.

One trust has no non-invasive machines left. 

ICUs are tweeting for volunteers to prone patients.

Transfer teams being requested to move patients 65+ miles to nearest hospital with critical care capacity. 

Please. Stay at home if you can.

NHS staff are at breaking point. They are trying to speak up about how bad things are on the frontline but are being shot down on Twitter. Today we learnt that we have more patients with COVID in hospital than ever before in the England. This is not a drill. Please believe us

Doctors across the country have warned hospitals are becoming overwhelmed amid a surge in coronavirus patients over the Christmas period, as they urged the public to stick to lockdown rules.   

Hospitals in England are now dealing with more Covid-19 patients than during the peak of the first wave, with figures showing there were 20,426 in NHS hospitals on Monday compared with 18,974 recorded on April 12. 

The number lab-confirmed cases in a single day in the UK also hit a new high of 41,385 on Monday, rising above 40,000 for the first time, according to Government figures.

Mervin Singer, professor of intensive care medicine at University College London, told LBC’s Andrew Castle on Tuesday: “I’ve been doing intensive care for 30-odd years, I’ve never seen anything like we’re experiencing at the moment. 

“Now we have the double whammy of sick people who don’t have Covid and this huge, huge surge of Covid patients who are incredibly ill and compounded by lack of staff – a lot staff members are going off sick and either having to isolate or there’s a huge amount of burnout and stress – it’s completely unusual.” 

Prof Singer said at some hospitals “huge numbers of patients are just piling up on the front door”.

Many medical professionals have taken to social media to express concern that people are not taking the situation seriously by flouting Covid-19 restrictions. 

Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, president of the Doctors’ Association UK, warned: “Hospitals are running out of oxygen. One trust has no non-invasive machines left. ICUs are tweeting for volunteers to prone patients. Transfer teams being requested to move patients 65+ miles to nearest hospital with critical care capacity. Please. Stay at home if you can.” 

She added: “NHS staff are at breaking point. They are trying to speak up about how bad things are on the frontline but are being shot down on Twitter. Today we learnt that we have more patients with COVID in hospital than ever before in the England. This is not a drill. Please believe us.”

Read the rest of the article here.

The overall feeling at the moment is ’chaos’. The delivery of the vaccination is very, very random and people aren’t really sure what’s happening and when their own area will be getting it.

It seems whoever is present on the day seems to be getting it, which is frustrating for those who have spent months on the front line – who are working with COVID patients or vaccinators -and are concerned about being silent carriers and giving it to patients.”

Dr Kaveri Jalundhwala, DAUK

Watch the full interview here on YouTube.