Shocking figures on the deaths and suffering from cancer caused by missed scans and appointments - something I first highlighted during my time on the frontline in April - along with all the other non-COVID health harms caused by COVID and by lockdown. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55234280

But it is important to distinguish between the health harms caused by lockdown (of which there are many) and those caused indirectly by COVID and remember that the huge backlog of screenings, tests and procedures was caused mainly by the NHS shutting down so many services in the

first wave to make sure it could cope with COVID. Because if we want to help cancer (& other) patients on waiting lists, we need to learn lessons from the first wave and make sure the NHS keeps treating ALL its patients this time. But the NHS has limited capacity -

particularly in staff (as the report above highlights) & so we have to keep COVID admissions below the levels they reached in the first wave. Also, when infections got to that level, many patients stopped coming to hospital as they were understandably afraid of catching COVID.

We are not there yet but the number of patients with COVID in hospital is increasing again nationally (and in most regions) and we have just reached a new peak in the second wave, and many hospitals are reaching capacity (shown below) making it harder to keep all services running

The NHS has a key role & must do more to reduce hospital-acquired infections (up to 25%) - this will reduce pressure & fear. It also urgently needs to increase capacity by using e.g. hotels and training new carers to look after patients who no longer require medical/nursing care

But the majority of COVID admissions are from the community and we can reduce those through our collective actions and behavior (esp. social distancing and self-isolation) - as we have done before.

The key to saving lives from cancer now is keeping COVID under control.