Inequalities exacerbated: an all-too-familiar story

The direct effects of COVID-19—at least in terms of cases, hospitalisations and deaths—have been well documented in almost real time throughout the pandemic. Researchers, policymakers, clinicians and the public are now increasingly able to reflect on the multiple indirect effects of the pandemic and associated policy responses. In this issue of BMJ Quality & Safety, Warner and colleagues add to this literature, highlighting socioeconomic and ethnicity inequalities in disruptions to non-COVID-19 hospital activity.1 While the inequalities that Warner and colleagues highlight constitute the core of their article, the impacts they report across the whole population should be underscored as they are astounding. Across England, from March up to 21 December 2020, the authors estimate 35.5% (3 million) fewer elective (planned) admissions and 22.0% (1.2 million) fewer emergency admissions than the equivalent period during the previous year. By the end of the analysis period, these rates had still...
Source: Quality and Safety in Health Care - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Editorials Source Type: research