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More optimistic news this week with coronavirus infection rates and hospital admissions both in decline. But coronavirus seems here to stay and we must not relax too soon. As we to look to the future, the NHS faces competing major challenges.... 1/8 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55941234
The second wave: It took four months to reach the peak of almost 40,000 patients in hospital with COVID and it will take at least another four months to get them all better. As staffing ratios slowly improve, we want to return our focus to quality of care for these patients. 2/8
Business as usual: A huge proportion of usual NHS business has once again been suspended and for much longer than the first wave. Many of us are anxious to re-boot usual services for less urgent illnesses. Currently these staff are looking after COVID patients. 3/8
Clearing the backlog: We cancelled more than 2 million surgical procedures in 2020 and the backlog continues to grow while services are shut down. Some surgeries are more urgent while others are quicker to clear. We need a plan to clear this huge backlog in healthcare. 4/8
Pandemic planning: We expect a third wave and future COVID winter pressures. We can’t keep running the NHS red-hot with massive improvised responses to pandemic waves. We need a strategy to deal with large numbers of acutely ill patients while maintaining best patient care. 5/8
Looking after our staff: The NHS is its people. Staff badly need to rest and recover but fear the workload that awaits them as the second wave clears. We need a national strategy for mental health support following traumatic experiences of the pandemic especially PTSD. 6/8
Recruitment & retention: Many NHS staff will feel they have done their bit over the past 12 months. Some will change careers, many will return home to the countries of their birth. We need to create great career pathways so talented staff have a reason to stay. 7/8
The NHS must clear our second wave patients and plan for a third wave, get back to business as usual and a huge backlog of surgeries. All of this while we rest exhausted staff and find a way to look after them following the worst of years. Competing challenges indeed. 8/8 
