Austerity meant the UK went into the pandemic with fewer nurses and fewer ICU nurses; fewer doctors and fewer intensivits; fewer ICU beds; fewer vents; less PPE

Austerity meant the UK went into the pandemic with fewer nurses and fewer ICU nurses; fewer doctors and fewer intensivits; fewer ICU beds; fewer vents; less PPE, less testing; less capacity to ramp up testing; worse logistic supply; worse social care; worse nursing care; worse long term care for people who recover; worse safety nets for people who have short or long term illness as a result of covid-19; and a brutal benefits system for the people who lose their jobs as a result of covid-19. Public Health is a function of local authorities (not the NHS), and local authorities have had their funding slashed and that has been seen in the difficulties in test, track, and trace. We're not even able to test everyone who needs a test. We certainly can't track and trace people.