Zahawi: NHS can deal with cautious reopening

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi has said the NHS can cope with a ”cautious but pragmatic reopening of the economy”.

Currently, some 5.3 million people are waiting for routine operations and procedures in England, and Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that waiting lists could more than double in the coming months.

Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, Mr Zahawi said there were “no easy decisions” but the government was “cautiously proceeding”.

Read more: NHS backlog could reach 13 million, says Javid