Coronavirus: Government's mixed messages on social distancing could ‘cost lives’, warns Labour MP working as A&E doctor

A&E doctor says previously healthy people in their thirties and forties were ‘fighting for the lives’ at her south London hospital

A Labour MP and A&E doctor has warned Boris Johnson that “mixed messaging” and unclear guidelines on coronavirus could cost lives, as she urged people to obey social distancing measures to aid the NHS.

Rosena Allin-Khan – also running in the party’s deputy leadership contest – added that previously healthy people in their thirties and forties were “fighting for the lives” at her south London hospital after contracting Covid-19.

“If we look at the fact that we are two weeks behind Italy, we are headed for a disaster if people do not heed the social distancing measures,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“The prime minister simply said yesterday he wants people to enjoy themselves outside while also saying that people should stay two metres apart outdoors,” she added.

“This relaxed style, mixed messaging will cost lives and I believe people are struggling to follow guidelines because they are just not clear.”

Her remarks come after the prime minister warned during a No 10 press conference on Sunday that “tougher measures” may have to be imposed to tighten social distancing rules because members of the public were flouting the advice and congregating in parks.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, also accused individuals of being “selfish” for continuing to socialise as the NHS does “everything it can” to prepare for the spread of the virus.

Ms Allin-Khan, who is currently working at St George’s Hospital, said that the number of cases of coronavirus was growing “very, very quickly”, adding that some of the sickest patients admitted to the hospital in Tooting have been young.

“We have patients who are in their thirties and early forties who are previously fit and well and who are now in intensive care and fighting for their lives,” she said. “This is a virus which is very, very difficult to predict. We just don’t know how the course of the next few weeks is going to pan out.”

Addressing the issue of a full lockdown of the capital to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, the Labour MP also warned that very soon “heart-wrenching and unenviable choices will need to be made about whose life can be saved in the event that we don’t have enough ventilators”.

She added: “Staff are frightened – they are frightened for their health, they are frightened for those who they may love the most. But the public has to help us, to help them. People in the NHS are going to work so the public don’t have too. But if the public want to save lives the best thing they can do is save lives.

“At the end of the day I will support whatever is going to save the most number of lives. If that means a full lock down then I will support it, we must trust our experts and the best way to contain it.”