Ex-UK health chief defends record after COVID messages leak
Britain’s former health minister is denying wrongdoing after a newspaper published extracts of private messages he sent in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s former health minister on Wednesday denied wrongdoing after a newspaper published extracts of private messages he sent in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Daily Telegraph said the exchanges show that then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock ignored scientific advice to test everyone entering nursing homes for COVID-19. Hancock said the WhatsApp messages had been deceptively edited, with key lines omitted to give a “distorted account.”
Hancock said he had wanted to test everyone entering care homes for the coronavirus, but the U.K. lacked the capacity at the time, so priority was put on testing people being discharged from hospitals into the homes.
“The messages imply Matt simply overruled clinical advice. That is categorically untrue,” said a statement released through a spokesman. “He went as far as was possible, as fast as possible, to expand testing and save lives.”
