Guardian

The prime minister admitted parts of the NHS may be overwhelmed due to staff absences and surging COVID cases, says The Guardian.

Multiple NHS trusts across England have declared “critical incidents” amid soaring staff absences due to COVID-19, reports The Guardian. 

The government has told headteachers in England to start preparing for staff shortages, according to The Guardian. 

COVID advisers have revealed the “tidal wave” of threats and abuse they receive in a survey conducted by The Guardian.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid is being urged to ensure NHS workers are prioritised for COVID tests or risk a “devastating” impact on patient care, The Guardian reports.

Hospitals have been asked to identify sites for up to 4,000 emergency beds to deal with a potential wave of Omicron admissions, says The Guardian.

The Guardian warns that UK households face a hit of £1,200 next year, with stalling wages and rising tax and energy bills causing a “cost of living catastrophe” in spring.

“England goes it alone”, reports The Guardian, as the PM rejects extra COVID-19 curbs in 2021, in contrast to other UK nations.

New research into the public’s attitudes towards the NHS has found one in four Britons do not believe the health service can care for them properly, according to The Guardian. 

The Guardian has a warning from doctors, who are urging Britons to keep their Christmas celebrations small amid fears that the Omicron variant could still overwhelm the NHS even if it is a milder form of COVID-19.