THE British Medical Association (BMA) has hit back at claims from Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the UK Government is “prioritising testing for NHS staff”.
During a subdued PMQs, the Prime Minister told Parliament that the UK will increase coronavirus testing to 25,000 per day, making NHS frontline staff in England and Wales his priority.
It came after one junior doctor started an online petition that accumulated 700,000 signatures.
READ MORE: Scotland's schools to close and may not re-open before summer
“We are prioritising NHS staff for the obvious reason that we want them to be able to look after everybody else with confidence that they are not transmitting the disease,” said Johnson.
“This country is far ahead of many other comparable countries in testing large numbers of people.”
READ MORE: Westminster flooded with 'a lot more than usual' petitions
Those words were instantly contradicted by the BMA, which said the Prime Minister’s sentiments did not reflect the experience of its frontline staff.
The BMA tweeted: “Boris Johnson tells #PMQs that Government is ‘prioritising testing for #COVID19 for NHS staff’ – this claim is not reflected in the experiences of our members at the frontline of the health service and is something we are pushing to be resolved as a matter of urgency.”
Boris Johnson tells #PMQs that Government is ‘prioritising testing for #COVID19 for NHS staff’ – this claim is not reflected in the experiences of our members at the frontline of the health service and is something we are pushing to be resolved as a matter of urgency
— The BMA (@TheBMA) March 18, 2020
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said cutting social contact will be tough for older people but the policy will save lives.
She has urged communities to rally round older people as they avoid unnecessary social contact, saying every single person in Scotland has a role to play in dealing with the impact of coronavirus.
Speaking during a visit to Age Scotland in Edinburgh to announce £80,000 in funding to help the charity deal with up to 1,500 calls a day, Ms Sturgeon said the "very strong" guidance about over-70s staying at home was "very much for the protection of older people".
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel