Responding today's Downing Street press conference, the chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson said:

"It is deeply worrying that the number of UK cases of the Indian COVID-19 variant is increasing so rapidly, with spikes in several places across the country.  While we wait for further evidence on the variant, such as how easily it spreads and resistance to vaccines, we agree with the prime minister's assessment today that we must now throw everything we've got at suppressing this strain.

"Trust leaders will welcome new advice from the JCVI to accelerate second doses to over 50s and the clinically extremely vulnerable across the UK, and to prioritise first doses for anyone over 40 who has not yet had a jab. While this is likely to cause some short term disruption to the vaccination programme, trust leaders, working with colleagues across primary care, know how important it is to contain the virus.

"This accelerated vaccination programme must take place alongside the rollout of rapid surge testing, enhanced contact tracing, widespread mask wearing, improved hand hygiene and regular use of lateral flow tests. We need people to self-isolate if they test positive for COVID-19 or if they have been in close contact with someone who has. We know this is more likely if sufficient financial support is provided to enable people to do so.

"While it is reassuring that there is no evidence that the spike in cases is translating into unmanageable pressures on the NHS at the moment, we cannot be complacent.

"Trusts need the government and their expert advisers to produce a robust and aligned view of the risk the NHS faces here. This risk assessment needs to be based on a best estimate of the complex interactions between the latest data on transmission including levels of infection, geographic spread and speed of transmission; vaccine uptake and resulting levels of immunity; and vaccine efficacy in relation to this variant.

"The government must act swiftly if the evidence shows the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed, including delaying stage four of the lockdown easing if needed."