COVID-19 continues to pose an enormous challenge for London. The Omicron variant has caused a surge of cases in the capital and the knock-on effect of staff absences in public services has led to military personnel deployed to support NHS hospitals in the city [1].
Successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme has been key to the Government’s response to the pandemic, yet London’s vaccination rates remain lower than the national average.
The London Assembly Health Committee will meet tomorrow to examine the ongoing risk from COVID-19 to London and the latest data, focusing on vaccine uptake, sickness absence, and numbers of cases and deaths.
The Committee will also investigate the impact of the pandemic on waiting times for elective and outpatient treatment and the implications of this for Londoners’ health.
Part 1 – The current situation in London
The guests are:
- Professor Kevin Fenton CBE, Regional Director for London, Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, Statutory Health Advisor to the GLA
- Martin Machray, Executive Director of Performance/COVID-19 Incident Director, NHS England and NHS Improvement – London
- Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive, London Ambulance Service
Part 2 – The indirect health effects of the pandemic: the impact on waiting times for elective and outpatient treatment
The guests are:
- Martin Machray, Executive Director of Performance/COVID-19 Incident Director, NHS England and NHS Improvement – London
- Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chair of Council, British Medical Association
- Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst, The Kings Fund
- Emma Tingley, Head of Partnerships, Macmillan Cancer Support
The meeting will take place on Thursday, 13 January from 10am, in Rooms G02 – G03 – G04, LFB Headquarters, 169 Union Street, London, SE1 0LL.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59902220
- Full agenda papers.
- Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the Health Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Health Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more details, please contact Emma Bowden in the Assembly Media Office on 07849 303897. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.