Thousands of doctors say second Covid peak is very likely

A major survey of doctors by the British Medical Association (BMA) shows that a second peak of Covid-19 in England this winter is the number one concern among the medical profession.

Eighty-six per cent of more than 8,000 doctors and medical students who responded said a second peak was likely or very likely in the next six months.

The findings come after daily cases in the UK soared to more than 3,500 on Friday, and as the R number rose to above one for the first time since March – meaning the epidemic is growing once again.

More than 8,000 doctors took part in the survey

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “These results come from thousands of GPs and hospital doctors and expose the fears of frontline clinicians.

"These fears come from their everyday experiences of treating patients with Covid and watching, the first time round, as the virus spread with alarming speed while the Government delayed efforts to overcome it.

"We, as a profession, want, above all, to avoid a return to the scenes of April, when hospitals were full with Covid-19 patients, and hundreds were dying every day.

“With daily cases still alarmingly high, and winter around the corner, we are at a critical crossroads in the fight against this deadly virus. All efforts must be made to avoid a repeat of the horror and tragedy we experienced earlier this year.”