Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department holds of predicted future hospitalisation rates from the Omicron variant of covid-19. (90315)
Tabled on: 09 December 2021
Answer:
Maggie Throup:
In the absence of any data on disease severity or the likely transmission rates in the community, it is not possible to make reliable estimates. As data on transmission rates becomes clearer over time and initial hospitalisations allow assessment of severity and care needs, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be able to project predicted future rates. The UKHSA and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working to generate data as quickly as possible.
December 16, 2021
JR. What exactly is the point of these questions to ministers? Are you merely throwing a dice onto the Westminster Snakes and Ladders board; hoping to put a minister on the head of a snake, then taking pleasure in watching them slide down it? It is not that you are in any position to do anything constructive with the glib answers you will get; perfectly drafted by the civil servant that wrote it for the minister.
BTW. The MP for Beaconsfield, a bag carrier for the justice secretary, tweeted on Friday morning: “Perhaps the covid unelected public health spokesperson should defer to what our ELECTED members of parliament and the prime minister have decided. I know it’s difficult to remember but this is not how democracy works. This is not a public health socialist state.” (I suspect this MP is unaware of our unelected Brexit minister.)
This, so called, parliamentary democracy, urgently needs to democratise the selection of candidates for election as MPs. The only way to avoid getting stuck with party placed lobby fodder candidates of the likes of the current member for Beaconsfield, is to have “Non-Partisan Primary Elections” (google “”). At least Downing Street kicked arse pronto on a by-election day.
December 16, 2021
What exactly is the point of that particular question ‘what EVIDENCE the department holds of PREDICTED future hospitalisation rates from the Omicron variant?’ I’m sorry but that’s an oxymoron, pure and simple.