By Tony O’Reilly-
The Covid-19 inquiry in London has heard that people from less well-off backgrounds were more likely to be hospitalised during the pandemic.
The inquiry is in the final week of its first module which is looking at resilience and preparedness
Kate Bell from the Trades Union Congress and Gerry Murphy, assistant general secretary of the the Irish Congress of Trade Unions were the first to give evidence today
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Mr. Murphy said that also manifested in more “premature deaths, suicide rates and generally all negative indicators”.
The hearing heard that 10 years of austerity meant there were low margins of extra capacity particularly when an ageing population placed greater pressure on the health system.
When asked if the lack of an Stormont executive and ministerial input between 2017 and 2020 had an adverse impact on the population which had been allowed to “drift”, Mr Murphy said he “entirely agreed”.
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He added that it was “particularly disappointing” that the executive collapsed in 2017 following all the political parties and trade unions signing up to the 2016 Bengoa review which looked at transforming the system.
Providing a national overview, Kate Bell from the Trade Union Congress said they had no evidence to indicate that planning around infection control was taking place across the social care systems.
“It has been heard throughout the inquiry that following exercise Cygnus recommendations around pandemic preparedness within the social care system were not acted on and I think we see this as a sign of the Cinderella status of the social care sector that it had been underfunded and ignored throughout,” Ms Bell said.
Mr Murphy added that in Northern Ireland staff and patients were facing the same issues and he said that as the pandemic unfolded it became clear that “there was no planning or provision to inspect care home in the health and
People from poorer backgrounds often face barriers in accessing adequate healthcare, which can delay diagnosis and treatment. Consequently, they may be more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms, leading to an increased likelihood of hospitalization.
Individuals from lower-income households were said to be more likely than not to experience overcrowded living conditions, making social distancing challenging and increasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission within the household. They were also more likely to work in essential, frontline jobs with higher exposure to the virus, such as in healthcare, service industries, and transportation. This elevated exposure increases their risk of contracting the virus and potentially requiring hospitalization.
Socioeconomic status can influence the prevalence of pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases, which are associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Individuals from impoverished backgrounds are more likely to have these underlying health conditions, potentially contributing to their higher hospitalization rates.
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