HCSA - the hospital doctors’ union - raised concerns that the Covid-19 testing system is currently not sufficient enough to prevent the NHS from crumbling as we hit the winter season.
Claudia Paoloni, HCSA president, was responding to news from the World Health Organisation (WHO) about a 'very serious situation' unfolding in Europe as weekly cases of Covid-19 top 300,000 for the first time.
As we reported last week, England is only weeks away from Spain and France, both of which have reported huge increases in infection rates.
Dr Paoloni said:"The world news and WHO are telling us that Europe is entering a further Covid-19 pandemic crisis.
"Spain, France and Italy are showing a demographic shift in cases from the younger to the older population with resulting increase in hospital admissions and deaths.
"The UK cannot watch from the sidelines and make the same mistakes made in March through lack of preparedness and wishful thinking.
"If we do not have sufficient tests or staff to offer a 24-hour laboratory testing service, seven days a week and individuals do not adhere to the Covid-19 transmission prevention measures, we cannot effectively contain this virus.
"That will leave no option but to introduce very blunt tools - including national lockdown - or else risk the collapse of the NHS this winter."