BMJ reports UK government failed to protect doctors during COVID-19

Simon Collins, HIV I-Base

Two BMJ reports on risks to doctors during the COVID-19 conclude that the UK government failed in its duty of care. [1, 2]

These are the first of five reports as part of a wider BMJ inquiry,

It uses the experiences of doctors to cover the critical shortages of PPE that led to hundreds of health workers losing their lives due to COVID-19. Nearly all the cases in the early epidemic were from an ethnic minoritised background.

The reports conclude that the evidence in the reports demonstrates that the UK government failed in its duty of care to the medical profession.[3]

References

1. BMA. Covid review 1: How well protected was the medical profession from covid-19? (19 May 2022).
   https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/what-the-bma-is-doing/covid-19-how-well-protected-was-the-medical-profession
2. BMA. Covid review 2: The impact of the pandemic on the medical profession. (19 May 2022).
   https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/what-the-bma-is-doing/covid-19-the-impact-of-the-pandemic-on-the-medical-profession
3. BMJ press release. Covid-19: Government failed to protect doctors during pandemic, BMA inquiry finds.  BMJ 2022; 377 doi: 10.1136/bmj.o1235 (19 May 2022).
   https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1235

This report was first published on 26 June 2022.