9: What are we clapping for? Sending people to die in social care: why the NHS did this and what needs to happen next?
The United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) was sold as our saviour during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its staff presented as heroes. Yet the NHS was responsible for the deaths of many thousands of vulnerable people who it discharged without due care for their wellbeing or that of others, who then became infected by the virus. Why did this happen and how did we get to that position? Do we need to look more carefully at the relationship between the people who make up the NHS and its nature as a social institution and politicised system? What does it tell us about the intersection of ideology, health and care, and how we might avoid a repeat situation in the future through a stronger commitment to user involvement and co-production?
The NHS became the focus for public support and concern as the seriousness of COVID-19 began to emerge. In fact, the highest profile response to the virus outbreak was the public relations rather than policy one. Thus during the first outbreak, there were the front-page diversions of centenarian Captain Tom’s NHS charity fundraising and knighthood. Then the public clapping for the NHS each Thursday at 8pm, where even those who may have been more concerned about the inadequacy of the political response to the pandemic were wary of breaking ranks and not joining in for fear of coming under personal attack. There were posters everywhere calling on us to ‘Protect Your NHS’, as if protecting the public wasn’t the actual issue and endless children’s drawings of rainbows in front windows with no sign of any policy crock of gold.
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