Under The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 Local Resilience Forums meet regularly to assess risks of emergencies and ensure plans are in place to respond. Wokingham falls under the Thames Valley Forum, as they are organised around Police Authority boundaries outside London.
They have been working with the NHS on plans for handling the virus. Parliament is likely to be asked to approve wider emergency powers in the next fortnight to assist in tackling the virus.
I have talked to the Royal Berkshire Hospital and senior management in the local NHS about providing sufficient capacity of care should need arise from the spread of the virus . They tell me they have made more ward space available as a contingency and can convert further wards to virus care if needed.
March 15, 2020
I see from Mr Hancock’s pronouncements that old folk (like me) are to stay at home and have my groceries and medicines delivered. A completely nuts idea, utterly unmanageable. Some of us at least are prepared to take our chance with the rest of you, we might help out our less able friends.
Then there is the idea that car factories etc will make ventilators. Nuts on stilts, just email an order to China. They will come quicker and actually be workable long before our home made jobs come on line.
One does wonder what planet Hancock et al live on. Go back to listening to experts.
March 15, 2020
Agreed, totally impractical advice!
March 17, 2020
Jim
Do remember that China is also under lock and key, and any ventilator manufacturing capacity will no doubt be purchased by the highest bidder.
William Morris (yes the car manufacturer founder) manufactured thousands of Iron Lungs for the nation decades ago (he actually donated them for free) using his car production and design facilities, and many standard car parts at the time.
If you ever visit Nuffield House (National Trust) you will actually see one, they look very basic, but they worked.
So the idea not completely nuts, although I appreciate times and production methods were different then.
March 15, 2020
Typical of Politicians- Take no action 6 weeks ago, but now lock up the old people, but still don’t bother about people coming and going at Airports unchecked.
I fully understanding the thinking behind isolating old people but unless they are ill with a temperature etc. then it is on their own head if they wish to go out and accept they will not be resuscitated. I am the last to talk about human rights and all that leftie talk but is is the same as the various discrimination issues. Probably illegal even if the under 70’s pass it in the commons, kill more off this way than the virus itself.
But look on the bright side- it will shut down the House of Lords.
Another point- don’t justify this action based on computer predictions, we have had a lot of these and they are nearly always wrong. Why not learn from China, Italy and elsewhere first hand. It you put errors into a computer you get errors out. I have used the polite version of the saying. Very common in the IT world.
March 17, 2020
John
South Korea seem to have the solution according to many media reports and recent results, but it involves government monitoring/intervention into the populations private lives, are we all prepared for that, or would the human rights/individual freedom supporters, fight against it until they find themselves in a hospital bed.
Sometimes drastic action is the only rapid solution, although I certainly agree with your points about the failure of checking people entering into the Country over the past few weeks.
I think you will find many in the population have already been self curtailing some of their movements for a little while, simply as a sensible precaution.