“I think we need that similar spirit right now. We need to empower local leaders to do what it takes to tackle the really pressing problems, like ambulance waiting times, for example. “The second thing we did in Covid was that we, the public, made a really big contribution. We tested ourselves, we stayed at home, we wore masks, we did things to try to relieve the pressure on the health service.” Mr Taylor accepted that IVF treatment was among the services that could face delays, but stressed that patients should still come forward when they feel they need to, adding: “Maybe some of the services we’d like to be able to provide, we will not succeed in the face of challenges.” He suggested virtual care, in which patients are encouraged to receive treatment at home using technology, including wearable devices, would play a central role in efforts to ease the worst-than-expected crisis. “As I’m sure you’ve heard people say, we’re in August and it feels, in the health service, like we’re in the middle of winter,” he said. “We’ve got winter coming up and there are concerns about flu and another variant of Covid, so there’s huge pressure.”
