A NEED for a unified approach to public health is among the “key lessons to learn from the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic”, chief medical officer for Wales Frank Atherton has said.

Today (January 30) Dr Atherton published his annual report which reflects on Wales’ initial actions in response to the pandemic, from early 2020 until the end of the summer.

Other key lessons, he said, centred around environmental issues, more focus on innovation and the importance of investment in health protection.

In his report, Dr Atherton says: “ As with the rest of the world, in Wales we have had to respond to the significant threat posed by this pandemic, to our health, social care and wellbeing, our employment and education systems, our economy, and in fact every aspect of our lives.

“In light of the events of 2020, I have decided to produce a special report reflecting on how we in Wales have faced the challenge of the pandemic together, and how we can seek to come out of this grave situation stronger and better prepared to tackle some of the challenges we were already facing and those of the future.

“Covid-19 reminds us we do not live in isolation and that it is all too easy to be impacted, almost without warning, by global events.

“It reminds us how interconnected we are to our environment and those that share with us.

“We must therefore take forward what we have learned and use it to revaluate our relationships with the planet, and with each other, and to say that we will no longer tolerate avoidable inequalities and short-term environmental planning.

“From tragic circumstances we may yet grasp opportunities we may never have again.”

The report makes eight recommendations;

  • Focus on investment in health protection services
  • Continue to review the effectiveness of case management and contact tracing systems
  • Take the learning from the pandemic and apply it to preparations for any future crises
  • Engage fully with the public on response to the pandemic and the measures being put in place
  • Adopt a whole of society ‘one health’ approach to a number of difficult issues, including climate change, zoonoses, and antimicrobial resistance
  • Maintain innovation and creativity in health and social care delivery, and priortise sustaining the wellbeing of all key workers
  • Focus on health inequities in all policies
  • Focus on ongoing research needed into the long-term effects of Covid-19

Health minister Vaughan Gething added: “This pandemic is not over. There is a long way to go but we have learned a lot from the first wave and continue to understand more as time goes on.

“This report will provide a valuable resource for future decision making and policy.”