Yesterday Derriford Hospital has declared a critical incident. This means the hospital is under severe pressure. Here is Luke’s response:

“NHS staff are doing a superb job and they have my full support.
We all know we went into the pandemic with our NHS and social care in crisis thanks to a decade of under-funding, fragmentation and privatisation. We need Ministers to up their game, but we can also do things to help our brilliant NHS team in Plymouth.

“Derriford have published a set of asks setting out how you can help. So please collect any relatives early freeing up beds for the rest of the day. Only go to the Emergency Department if it is an emergency – please use 111, your local GPs and local pharmacies first if you can.

“Please book your booster jabs. Lots of people in intensive care have not been vaccinated. The case for vaccination is so clear that those refusing to have the vaccine are now causing considerable impacts on the NHS. You can book your booster now online now – there are appointments available across Plymouth right now.

“Finally, please go easy on our brilliant NHS and social care teams who are working and those off sick. They’re working their socks off, and they need our support.

“It is welcome news that the death rate from the new variant is lower than for previous variants, but with so many people getting the virus there’s a real risk for our public services, transport systems, schools and businesses to operate normally. Please test regularly, and look after yourself.”