Good morning. Boris Johnson has set a goal for the federal government to supply all adults a booster vaccine by the top of the month. Right here is our in a single day story reporting the announcement.
This morning Sajid Javid, the well being secretary, has been giving broadcast interviews, and he has admitted that, as GPs and hospitals in England give attention to this goal over the subsequent few weeks, non-urgent appointments will likely be postponed. He instructed the Right now programme:
It does imply that, on the subject of major care, for the subsequent couple of weeks that our GPs will solely be specializing in pressing wants and vaccinations. And it additionally implies that non-urgent appointments and elective surgical procedures might should be postponed into the brand new 12 months.
Javid insisted that this might not have an effect on individuals desirous to see a physician about most cancers signs. That may depend as an pressing appointment, he mentioned.
Requested what hospital appointments may be postponed, Javid replied:
Will probably be anybody who’s acquired some elective surgical procedure deliberate, for instance, that may be postponed till the brand new 12 months. So which may imply, for instance, a knee operation or hip operation, one thing that sadly somebody has most likely been ready [for] for a very long time in any case, however the hospital involved would have the fitting to postpone it if it meant they might get much more booster jabs finished.
Javid mentioned these selections had been “not straightforward”. However there was restricted capability within the NHS.
Requested if this might imply individuals dying who wouldn’t have died if these appointments had not been posptponed, Javid mentioned: “What’s going to result in actual hurt is that if we don’t do that.”
I’ll publish extra from his interviews shortly.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Boris Johnson is visiting a vaccination centre, the place he’s anticipated to present a TV interview.
11.30am: Downing Avenue holds its foyer briefing.
3.30pm: Sajid Javid, the well being secretary, is anticipated to make a press release to MPs concerning the vaccine booster programme.
4pm: Antonia Romeo, everlasting secretary on the Ministry of Justice, provides proof to the Commons public accounts committee concerning the courts backlog.
4.30pm: Max Hill QC, director of public prosecutions, provides proof to the Commons dwelling affairs committee about rape prosecutions.
Additionally right this moment Liz Truss, the international secretary, will likely be assembly international ministers from the Balkans.
I will likely be largely specializing in UK Covid-related points right this moment, however there’s far more protection on our world Covid dwell weblog.
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