UK NHS near collapse during pandemic due to years of underfunding, staff shortages, and poor crisis response, inquiry finds.

A UK inquiry report reveals the NHS was near collapse during the pandemic due to pre-existing weaknesses like staff shortages, low bed numbers, and overcrowding. Despite heroic efforts by healthcare workers, flawed messaging discouraged people from seeking care, worsening outcomes. Early guidance underestimated airborne spread, PPE was critically low, and non-urgent treatments were paused, causing backlogs. The system was already weakened by years of underfunding, and the report calls for urgent reforms to improve resilience and communication in future crises.