Top scientists call for inquiry to prepare for second wave of coronavirus in UK

A group of leading scientists have called on Boris Johnson to hold an urgent inquiry to prepare the UK for a potential second wave of coronavirus this year.

In a letter to The Guardian, 27 medical and scientific experts have warned that many more Britons may die if a second wave hits at the end of the year and the Government is without “quick, practical solutions to some of the structural problems that have made implementing an effective (coronavirus) response so difficult”.

Signatories to the letter say issues such as “the fragmentation … of the NHS, public health and social care … the channels by which scientific evidence feeds into policy and an inability to plan for necessary goods and services” threaten to undermine the Government’s response to a potential future spike.

They write: “Despite strenuous efforts by health professionals and scientists inside and outside government, the UK has experienced one of the highest death rates from Covid-19 in the world, with the poor and certain minority ethnic groups affected especially badly.