As covid wave two crashes onto the NHS in the north of England, HSJ Health Check discusses the last minute scrambles to try to protect elective care, and mass-test staff.
\nWhile covid-19\u2019s second wave appears a little less destructive than the first, it is bringing steeply rising admissions in the areas most affected --- and sparking a somewhat chaotic reaction as health systems try to prepare for it while keeping planned care on track.
\nWith the focus in the summer on restoring elective care while the sun shone; government did not fund the NHS\u2019s request for extra covid step-down are; and there\u2019s now also a scramble to start routine testing of asymptomatic staff.
\nFeaturing HSJ\u2019s North West and North East correspondents \u2013 Lawrence Dunhill and Matt Discombe \u2013 with deputy editor Dave West.