'Living with Covid' strategy fails to make provisions for the unequal impact of the virus

Responding to the government’s ‘living with Covid’ strategy, David Finch, Assistant Director of Healthy Lives at the Health Foundation, said:

‘The government's overriding principle in launching this new strategy appears to be the need to reduce public spending on the management of COVID-19. This is understandable given the huge resources that have gone into the pandemic and the pressing need for major investment across public services as the country recovers. But the right balance of support is needed.

'The strategy fails to recognise and make provisions for the unequal impact that COVID-19 has had across society so far and the unequal risks from ‘living with Covid’. Expecting people to take personal responsibility to reduce the spread ignores the fact that there is insufficient sick pay coverage which means the incentive for many will be to continue to go out to work and not stay at home if they are infected. The removal of statutory sick pay from day one of isolating will only further increase this risk.

'Furthermore, limits to free testing could lead to infection rates increasing more rapidly in poorer communities where the impact of infection may be more severe given the lower uptake of vaccines in more deprived areas of the country. This could have a knock-on effect on the backlog of NHS care, with some of the most deprived areas having already faced the most significant service disruption through the pandemic. The government must do more to protect those who are most vulnerable and exposed as we learn to live with COVID-19.

'Living with Covid should not mean losing sight of the wider impacts of the pandemic. As we move towards recovery, there is a need for much greater focus on catching-up education and taking advantage of opportunities such as increased access to better quality job opportunities from remote working. More broadly, there is now an urgent need for a ‘whole government’ approach to improve the nation’s health and address the health inequalities that have been exposed and exacerbated in the pandemic.'

Media contact

Simon Perry
Simon.Perry@health.org.uk
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