The government must introduce wide-ranging 'plan B' Covid measures to prevent the health service 'stumbling into a crisis' this winter, the head of the NHS Confederation has warned.
Matthew Taylor told the Guardian immediate action was needed or efforts to tackle a backlog of 5m patients would be derailed.
On Tuesday, the UK recorded its highest Covid death toll for seven months while the seven-day average for coronavirus cases stands at 44,145 a day, one of the highest in the world.
Despite the sharp rise in cases, Downing Street has so far resisted calls to reintroduce measures such as working from home, mask wearing and vaccine passports. READ MORE: Latest coronavirus infection rates in Greater Manchester as UK records highest death