Doctor's plea for Welsh NHS to be put on 'war footing' to tackle coronavirus

The Welsh NHS needs to be put on a 'war footing' to tackle the spread of coronavirus, according to one senior doctor.

Taking to Twitter, Consultant Dave Jones said: "The NHS needs to be put on a “War Footing” anything that can be cancelled, should be cancelled NOW.

"Any extra capacity should be expanded as much as possible. Complacency, hope and burying heads in the sand will only make it worse when the storm hits."

His plea comes as the total number of confirmed cases in Wales reached 15, with 456 cases UK-wide and six deaths.

Dave Jones pleaded directly to Wales's Health Minister Vaughan Gething and Chief Medical Officer Dr Frank Atherton saying taking action would not be 'wasted time' and that: "This is the time we convert theatres into ITU spaces, we create space on the wards, we train staff, we stock up on PPE, we practice the transfers, we re-train people to look after the critically ill."

The Welsh Government says its response will be guided by the science and that Wales remains in the 'contain' phase of the outbreak.

It says it is also taking appropriate measures to increase testing capabilities and supply protective equipment to NHS staff who'll be treating those with suspected coronavirus.

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