Over the past month, the UK has witnessed the unprecedented spread of Covid-19 – it has infected around 90,000 and killed more than 11,000 people in hospitals (mid-April 2020). As we know the true numbers infected and/or died, is under-represented due an absence of wide-spread testing (front-line staff and community) and through a lack of data from Britain’s care homes. The disturbing images we see via our televisions and social media channels of those who have died make uncomfortable viewing. We see a selection of faces of doctors and nurses, bus drivers and care home workers all killed. All of whom represent our frontline workers in this battle against the spread of the virus. The evidence from the deaths of these frontline workers clearly show that a disproportionate number of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), who have been infected, are dying from Covid-19. Although BAME people represent some 14% of the UK population, available evidence suggests that some 35% of this group have been impacted (Intensive Care National Audit & Research Centre, 4 April 2020). Government experts are suggesting causes include social and economic factors, overcrowding and multigenerational living. However, they fail to acknowledge some of the well-known, deeply entrenched inequalities which pervade British society, and which adversely impact BAME communities. In most aspects of life, including education, housing and employment, BAME communities experience institutional discrimination, which has an adverse impact on life chances. Furthermore, several decades of health research consistently show that BAME communities experience worse health outcomes for conditions such as high-blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, HIV, breast and prostate cancer. Many of these ‘underlying conditions’ are associated with poorer coronavirus outcomes, so it is little wonder that BAME frontline workers are being infected with Covid-19 to this extent. The Ubele Initiative is a BAME led national organisation which supports BAME communities and recently co-produced a statement which supports this campaign. Ubele will set up a Call to Action with a 10 point Community Action Plan which will be launched on Monday 27th April 2020. Ubele call on the government to urgently conduct a full independent public investigation into why and how BAME front line staff including clinicians, care home workers and transport staff and the wider BAME communities are being disproportionately infected. We urge the government to release Covid-19 data based on ethnicity from across all UK regions. Furthermore, the government also needs to deliver on its’ testing policy and target the above groups of staff as well as the wider community.

On 13th April 2020 Guardian journalists discovered that the UK government have missed 3 chances to join a €1.5 billion EU scheme to buy PPE (personal protective equipment) to protect health and social care staff working against coronavirus. Medical unions in the UK are currently warning that stocks of protective gowns are critically low. On 12th April the Royal College of Surgeons found one in three surgeons in the UK lack enough protective kit. On 11th April the British Medical Association warned that NHS staff are risking their lives because they still don't have proper protective kit. And the UK Royal College of Nursing currently has fears that nurses may not be able to work due to lack of PPE. This is putting medics in the impossible ethical position of having to choose between the care of their patients, and their own lives. And if more health and social care staff start to die this leaves fewer skilled people to care for those who are sick. Evidence from the frontline is clear that whatever our government is currently doing is not providing the NHS with enough protective kit for all staff who need this. This is clearly too big, and too urgent, for the UK to go alone. Please join me, as an NHS medic, in supporting this petition to ask our government to consider the will of the British people in deciding whether to join the EU PPE procurement plans, which we still can - to protect our healthcare workers, so that they can keep working to protect us all.

To remind us of how lucky we are and our gratitude to them. They are turning up everyday in the face of danger to themselves.

The NHS has a massive shortage of nurses. These nurses showed their dedication by paying for their own education. The 1st cohort to self fund now called up to the frontline early. No support from the government for their education and yet they are now essential. Waive their tuition fees.

Nurses have been on the front line of our battle against Covid - 19, yet new nurses receive a salary barely above the minimum wage. These highly skilled and dedicated workers have borne the brunt of the last 10 years of austerity, yet are supposed to put their lives on the line day and daily. They do it out of a sense of duty, but loyalty doesn't buy the groceries or pay the rent. So let's see this as the first step in paying them and people like them, what they are worth to society, not the minimum we can get away with. This will cost the average person just over £3 per week, a small price to pay for these heroes and heroines.

Matthew Hancock has not helped to protect the NHS as he is there to do. He has accused the NHS staff of overusing PPE which is atrocious and is now refusing to apologise for this blunder! The NHS staff as well as many other frontline services are not over using PPE, they are not being provided with enough PPE for the demand and even at best it is likely ineffective PPE putting those that are needed most at risk! Our Prime Minister has just got out of hospital and is very thankful to the staff for helping him. He can prove his gratefulness by looking at what the Secretary of State for Health and Social care is saying to those in health and social care regarding PPE and do something about it. We need these people more than ever and they are all being put at risk because of him! Let's do something about this now!

If you are newly self-employed, sadly the Chancellor said no to including you this tax year. Under the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, the state will pay 80% of average profits up to £2,500/mth (provided total annual profits are under £50,000). The average profit is based on earnings in the three tax years up to 5 Apr 2019. This leaves those who started a business after that in the lurch. Even some who started the year before may fall foul, as to qualify, over 50% of annual income needs to be from self-employment. The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been asked if he'd change the guidance to include profits of those who submit speedy tax returns for the most recent tax year. In his video answer, sadly he said no. Another gaping hole that needs fixing. Please sign this petition to help small businesses survive through the Coronavirus, to help the people with no income to pay their bills and look after their families. Thank you so much.

Because Coronavirus will overtake the camps. Not taking action means the virus will mutate. Not taking action when we can means people will die through no fault of their own. Do not murder these children.

NHS Inform states that we must never be denied access to NHS resources due to age, sex, race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity. Disabled people, those with chronic health conditions and the elderly are being contacted by GP practices with checklists. Within these checklists are two questions which must be stopped: 1. Are you happy for us to put a DNR on your file?* 2. Are you happy for us to put on your file that you won't be admitted to hospital should you become unwell? ** *A DNR is a Do Not Resuscitate order. **Note, this does not say 'get Covid-19', but 'become unwell'. This is an act of prejudice. These questions are coming out of the blue. Notice the use of the word 'happy'. They are leading questions; the answer is implied in the question and this makes it is very hard to say 'no'. These questions also imply that our lives are worth less, that we can be 'cannon fodder' and should happily give up our rights to medical care. It implies that we are a burden. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have heard 'but it is only sick people who die from this', this has devalued us and made us feel more vulnerable. Now, we are being asked to give up their right to medical care and therefore, potentially our lives. End of Life conversations should be undertaken in a respectful, dignified and sensitive way. During this pandemic, it should be everybody or nobody. We are all at risk and may all need to consider how we would like to be treated in our final hours. It is not ok to ask those who may require medical care to forgo hospital admission and stay at home. Resuscitation is only performed where it is safe to do so. Perhaps more dangerous, is being asked to give up the right to hospital admission, thus hugely increasing the risk of death. Forget fighting over toilet rolls, we need to fight to keep our human rights upheld! (https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/accessing-and-using-the-nhs-in-scotland)

Unlike the rest of the UK population people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance can damage their bodies by eating too much carbohydrates. The vast majority of Food Box's that M&S and Morrisons offer contain food's which have a large carbohydrate value, which make them insufficient for the needs of a type 2 diabetic person(s). Online delivery slots are increasingly hard to come by and Food Boxes on offer are insufficient to type 2 diabetics needs. Furthermore the Cornavirus crisis risks damaging the populations health as people choose non-perishable food items that are mainly carbohydrates, over foods which provide good amounts of nutrition, healthy fats and immune system boosting vitamins that the body needs to fight off viral infections. The health survey of 2017 for England states that 28.7% of adults are obese and a further 35.6% are overweight. These high numbers are bound to increase if the UK population doesn't make healthy food choices. Around June 2018 the NHS approved diabetes.co.uk's Low Carb program as a viable treatment method for Type2 diabetes. Since its inception it has helped over 435,000 people loose weight and lower their blood sugar. I ask all Health conscious people, Low Carb and Keto dieters (Vegan or Carnist) too sign this petition so supermarkets can stockpile foods which could change the nations health for the better while we are all in isolation. Healthy people are needed to kick start our economy when this is all over.

Those who are on gas and electric meters are often the most vulnerable in society, including the elderly and disadvantaged families with children. They should not live in fear that they might run out of a power supply at this challenging time. This not only puts people at a physical health risk, but can also heighten the mental health risks of isolation.

It is important to show our front line workers that we the nation are with them. Not just now but moving forward. So please give your support.