A substantial part of this excess mortality will be due to the collapse of the NHS, caused by years of under-funding, exacerbated by the pandemic. Large numbers

A substantial part of this excess mortality will be due to the collapse of the NHS, caused by years of under-funding, exacerbated by the pandemic. Large numbers of people are dying at home waiting for an ambulance, in ambulances queued outside hospitals, on trolleys, or having arrived at the ward too late. The NHS needs a massive cash injection, we need to train more doctors and nurses in the UK, and their pay and working conditions need to be that which would motivate them to stay in the profession. Ditto social care, unpaid family carers need to be supported properly, we need paid carers to be treated with respect and paid reasonably so that good people are attracted and retained to the profession. Another reason the NHS is on its knees is wards are full of people mostly elderly that needn't be there but can't be discharged due to lack of social care provision. This is all having an effect on the economy too. I suspect that if taxes were be raised to pay for all this, it would be a net positive. For example, people who don't get to breaking point dealing with family care issues or illnesses for themselves or loved ones, tend to be able to focus more on work, do a better job, get promotions, and thus have more take home pay while contributing more tax. Starving the NHS of cash is utterly short-sighted in so many ways.