DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Britain has to say no to mandatory masks
On the surface, new advice from the UK Health Security Agency to remain at home where possible if you are feeling unwell and to wear a mask if you must go out in public seems reasonable.
Even when the NHS is not deep in crisis, if you are full of cold or flu, staying away from work, school or crowded places where you are likely to infect others is a sensible and considerate thing to do.
And opting to wear a face mask can reduce the spread of germs.
But it has to be voluntary. We must beware starting down a slippery slope back to any of the stultifying mandatory restrictions we endured in lockdown, which had such catastrophic social, educational and economic effects.
(File Photo) Opting to wear a face mask can reduce the spread of germs, but it has to be voluntary
Yes, the flu outbreak this winter is serious, but that must not be used by over-zealous authorities to make mask-wearing compulsory in shops, on public transport or, heaven forbid, in schools.
During the pandemic, this was part of an unprecedented and draconian response to a global medical emergency. The public put up with it reluctantly then, but any attempt to make it a routine feature of health policy would be insufferable.
And then there is Covid itself. All the signs are that the virus is weakening as it evolves and that we are gradually learning to live with it. We must be careful not to hit the panic button at every new scare.
If people want to wear a mask, then fine. That is their choice. But if it were made compulsory, even in limited settings, how long would it be before there were calls for a return to social distancing and other restrictions?
That really would be history repeating itself as farce.
Sunak the mechanic
Rishi Sunak was yesterday said to be ‘under the bonnet’ of the winter health crisis, working on a short-term fix as well as more permanent solutions.
Like a rusty old banger, the NHS has been sputtering along on a wing and a prayer for years. Some would say it needs a magician rather than a mechanic.
Mr Sunak won’t be able to fully recondition the engine any time soon, but he can at least clean up the plugs and points and get it back on the road.
In a keynote speech today, he will outline plans to free up many more beds by providing care packages for some of the 13,000 medically fit elderly patients who are in hospital just because there is nowhere else for them to go.
It’s good to see Rishi Sunak taking hands-on charge of the health emergency, but he’s by no means the first PM to attempt a restoration job on the NHS
He is also said to be considering giving local pharmacists powers (which already exist in Scotland and Wales) to prescribe drugs for minor ailments.
This would be of huge benefit.
One study cited by an all-party group of MPs suggested it could cut GP costs by 50 per cent.
But it would require proper up-front funding. While the NHS has been showered with cash in recent years, payment rates for independent pharmacies haven’t increased since 2015, despite rising inflation and spiralling drug prices.
As a result, many are struggling to make ends meet and nearly one in ten has closed. The Mail has been campaigning to get a better deal for these dedicated community servants. Without it, they will continue to wither on the vine.
It’s good to see Mr Sunak donning his overalls to take hands-on charge of the health emergency and we don’t doubt his good faith (after all, his mother was a pharmacist).
But he’s by no means the first PM to attempt a restoration job on the NHS. Making it fit for purpose is a monumental task that needs not only smart, joined-up thinking but also radical action.
If it doesn’t come soon, the old jalopy will be beyond repair.
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