-et and you ve got to make sure that you get a and you ve got to make sure that you get a vaccination. that is the most important get a vaccination. that is the most important thing. we wanted to have a mixture important thing. we wanted to have a mixture of important thing. we wanted to have a mixture of plan b and a greatly accelerated booster programme. and i ust accelerated booster programme. and i just want accelerated booster programme. and i just want to accelerated booster programme. and i just want to say, david, that it is always just want to say, david, that it is always difficult to balance these things always difficult to balance these things. there is no easy answer to a problem things. there is no easy answer to a problem like things. there is no easy answer to a problem like omicron. there s no easy problem like omicron. there s no easy lockdown, no easy restriction on people s easy lockdown, no easy restriction on people s lives or livelihoods. and
definition of the nhs becoming overwhelmed? and definition of the nhs becoming overwhelmed? and is- definition of the nhs becoming overwhelmed? and is this - definition of the nhs becoming overwhelmed? and is this stilll definition of the nhs becoming - overwhelmed? and is this still your guiding overwhelmed? and is this still your guiding principle overwhelmed? and is this still your guiding principle that overwhelmed? and is this still your guiding principle that you overwhelmed? and is this still your guiding principle that you would - guiding principle that you would bring guiding principle that you would bring in guiding principle that you would bring in restrictions guiding principle that you would bring in restrictions if guiding principle that you would bring in restrictions if the - guiding principle that you would bring in restrictions if the nhs. guiding principle that you wouldl bring in restrictions if the nhs is at that bring in restrictions if the nhs is
usual winter pressures, and you ve got a wave of people who are off sick because they have got covid or indeed for other reasons, but covid is a very substantially can to beating to beat into that. we now expect the peak in younger people to come before the peak in older people so it may well be that the workforce problems start to decrease before we start to see any decrease in the number of people coming into hospital, in fact, they could still, very well, be going up for quite some time. so, workforce problems also apply to things like transport and critical services and so on. so i think they will end up in two slightly different places because of this age effect. in terms of threshold, for the nhs it is less that there is a single threshold, and more that little by little, routine and then urgent but not emergency, and then. things are rolled back, so little by little, the nhs has to retreat to the most
aren t it s absolutely fantastic. there aren t as it s absolutely fantastic. there aren t as many covid patients in the nhs now aren t as many covid patients in the nhs now as aren t as many covid patients in the nhs now as there were in the january peak nhs now as there were in the january peak not nhs now as there were in the january peak. not by a long way. but sadly, the numbers are likely to grow. there the numbers are likely to grow. there are the numbers are likely to grow. there are various mitigations that i ve already mentioned. the relative mildness i ve already mentioned. the relative mildness and shortness of stay and so on mildness and shortness of stay and so on the mildness and shortness of stay and so on. the fact people don t go into icu so on. the fact people don t go into icu nearly so on. the fact people don t go into icu nearly as much, and so on, as has already icu nearly as much, and so on, as has already been said. in the end, it is people
introduced plan b, and ijust want to say that i m incredibly grateful to say that i m incredibly grateful to the to say that i m incredibly grateful to the nhs, to everybody who is working to the nhs, to everybody who is working so hard in our hospitals now. working so hard in our hospitals now. to working so hard in our hospitals now, to deal with the pandemic, but i do now, to deal with the pandemic, but i do think now, to deal with the pandemic, but i do think the balance of measures that we i do think the balance of measures that we have is the right one, and the right that we have is the right one, and the right one for omicron. we will continue the right one for omicron. we will continue to the right one for omicron. we will continue to monitor it clearly, but what continue to monitor it clearly, but what we continue to monitor it clearly, but what we are continue to monitor it clearly, but what we are saying is that you ve -ot what we are saying is that you