NHS bosses have been told to avoid inflicting misery and risk of death on tens of thousands of patients by shutting down normal care in response to a second wave of coronavirus.
Doctor's leaders warned the NHS must not become a "Covid-only service" if infections rocket in the winter months. Hospitals cancelled thousands of routine appointments at the start of the pandemic, as NHS bosses scrambled to prevent the health service from being overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.
But the move left many patients with other illnesses unable to access care, prompting fears that thousands have died unnecessarily.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics found 12,000 more people than usual have died of non-Covid illnesses in recent