Top BMA clinician accuses government of deceit, demands Johnson and Hancock resign

Person putting on PPE, and Boris Johnson


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A senior BMA (British Medical Association) clinician has accused the UK government of deceit in the way it has handled the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. He also demands that prime minister Boris Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock resign.

“A national scandal”

BMA (British Medical Association) honorary vice president Dr Kallash Chand has published a video in which he says that Johnson and Hancock have “handled the [coronavirus] crisis lazily, negligently and dishonesty (sic)”:

Chand’s concerns include under-reporting of overall deaths from the virus; lack of suitable PPE (personal protective equipment) for NHS staff; failure to meet testing targets; and delay in implementing the lockdown.

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Chand describes these failures as a “national scandal” and demands that Hancock and Johnson resign.

Death figures debacle

In the video, Chand specifically accuses the government of responsibility for “excessive deaths”. According to a Financial Times (FT) report, the true number of people dying is more than double government reports. The FT investigation that Chand refers to claims that the figures relating to deaths arising from the coronavirus outbreak are now likely to be around 45,000.

Chand further criticises the way in which the numbers of deaths in care homes and the community have been withheld.

Indeed, it’s already reported that the UK is on course to have the highest death rates from the virus in Europe.

The FT investigated the number of deaths:

based on figures from the ONS… [this] includes deaths that occurred outside hospitals updated to reflect recent mortality trends.

Assuming the figures are correct, it’s shocking reading.

PPE debacle

The UK desperately needs PPE. One mechanism to source supplies was the EU, which invited Downing Street to join its scheme. But according to the Daily Mirror:

In mid-March the European Commission confirmed Britain was still “eligible to participate in these joint procedures” despite formally leaving the EU on 31 January.

On March 26, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed that they had missed participating because of a missed communication.

On March 21, senior civil servant Simon McDonald told the UK foreign affairs committee that the decision by government not to participate in the EU’s PPE procurement scheme had been “political”:

However, Hancock denied this. And lo and behold McDonald then insisted in a letter – see the above tweet – that his statement to the committee had been “incorrect”. Subsequently, Hancock claimed the UK has now joined the EU procurement scheme. However, a spokesperson for the EU Commission has denied that:

As the death toll rises, these ‘misunderstandings’ continue.

Testing debacle

On 2 April 2020, Hancock promised by end of month 100,000 [Polymerase Chain Reaction] swab tests of the virus per day:

But it’s an ambition he’s unlikely to fulfil. In addition, there’s another debacle regarding the antibody tests – as the Guardian explained:

Oxford University scientists have been evaluating some of the 3.5m antibody tests Hancock bought from a number of companies. He had placed orders for a further 17.5m. The best of them are 70% accurate. Most are only right half the time. Having previously claimed that it had struck deals which meant no payment would be made until the tests were proven, the government is now trying to get its money back.

Not good enough.

Lockdown debacle

The Canary reported how the government’s delay in implementing a lockdown:

wasted valuable weeks – which likely increased the number of deaths – while it toyed with an inappropriate ‘herd immunity’ approach.

The Canary also reported how England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries had said that it was fine that the Cheltenham Festival horse racing event was allowed to proceed. She also supported the government decision to keep schools open.

In retrospect, that advice and the decisions subsequently taken were wrong and no doubt cost lives.

“Untruths”

At one of the daily briefings on the coronavirus outbreak, Harries said:

The UK, regardless of the position that we may be in now, has been an international exemplar in preparedness.

This is despite debacles over the underreporting of numbers of deaths, the insufficient procurement of first-rate PPE supplies, and inadequate testing facilities, etc.

Indeed, a Lancet editor was incredulous and accused Harries of telling “manifest untruths”:

‘Fake news’

Johnson and Hancock and others in government must take responsibility for their advice and actions. Indeed, there are aspects of information released by the government – such as death figures – that could be described as ‘fake news’.

Add all this up and what we are witnessing is nothing less than, as Chand put it, a “national scandal” that is seeing thousands of people needlessly die.

Featured image via YouTube/ITV News Youtube/BBC News

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  • Show Comments

    2. Dr Chand is correct in everything he says, the evidence is all there.
      Limiting responsibility to Johnson and Hancock, does not cover all the criminal damage, that government have done to the people.
      There must be a full public enquiry, followed by appropriate sanctions, resignations are the first requirement.
      A general election should follow the resignations, once the facts have been assembled, and clearly disseminated to the people.

      Report comment

      1. I totally agree with you.
        But I doubt much will happen as Brexit went on for 4 years without a resolve, and still is going on.
        And reading the letter above, Sir Simon McDonald said the Eu Joint Procurement Agreement was nixed by Johnson for political reasons.
        Thank goodness for the courage of Dr. Chand.
        I can’t imagine a deeper contrast in what passes for being a human being.

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