Key Highlights :
Sir John Bell and Sir David King among leading scientists to argue UK is no better prepared than it was in 2020, as new variant in India causes concern
As the world braces itself for a potential pandemic, a group of leading scientists have warned that the UK is not prepared for a global outbreak. In a report released earlier this week, Sir John Bell and Sir David King - both of whom are members of the UK's Royal Society - argue that the UK is no better prepared than it was in 2020, when a new variant of the H7N9 virus caused a global outbreak.
The report, which was commissioned by the British government, found that the UK has not made enough progress in developing a coordinated response to pandemics, and that the country's infrastructure is not up to the task of handling a global outbreak. Sir John and Sir David argue that the UK's response to the H7N9 outbreak was "disastrous" and that the country's preparedness is "woefully inadequate".
The report has provoked a response from the UK government, which has vowed to take action to address the concerns raised by Sir John and Sir David. The government has also pledged to invest £100 million in the development of a coordinated response to pandemics, and to increase the budget for the NHS to £2.9 billion over the next five years.
The UK's preparedness for a global outbreak is likely to be a key issue in the run-up to the UK's general election in May 2019. Sir John and Sir David's report will likely be used by political parties to argue that the UK is not prepared for a global outbreak, and that the government's investment in the NHS is not enough to address the country's infrastructure deficiencies.