NHS England says the health service is operating at less than 50 per cent of usual capacityMany NHS services will not get back to full capacity for more than a year, according to the Royal College of Physicians, even discounting the potential for a second wave of Covid-19 cases. Specialities including cardiology, gastroenterology and rheumatology expect to see and treat fewer patients for at least 12 months than they did before coronavirus hit. In a report the college said doctors faced “difficult decisions” on which patients to prioritise. NHS England says the health service is operating at under 50 per cent of usual capacity and waiting lists have been forecast to reach ten million by the end of the year. Attempts to return to normal are being hampered by social-distancing requirements, alongside stringent infection control procedures such as the need for

Source: The Times June 29, 2020 23:11 UTC