THE Prime Minister’s darkest hour, children’s mental health and the costly mistake of the Nightingale hospitals were the topics raised by columnists and contributors in the newspapers.

The Daily Mail

Henry Deedes watched Boris Johnson’s address on Tuesday night as the death toll passed 100,000.

“For Boris Johnson this was his darkest hour. A moment for sombre reflection, as haunting as the sounds of muffled drums and Chopin’s funeral march,” he said. “This terrible milestone had, of course, been some time coming. Yet even this accomplished wordsmith struggled to summon the mots justes for the occasion.”

He said the Prime Minister was humble and dejected and, unlike most politicians, willing to apologise.

“For us watching it too was a particularly queasy moment. The numbers of the departed now exceed the capacity of most football stadiums,” he said.

“After forty minutes, the PM trudged off as slowly as he’d arrived, his shoulders heavier than concrete breeze-blocks. For him, no respite is in sight. Not while this dreadful disease steadfastly refuses to give any quarter.”

The Daily Express

Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said the pandemic had left many children struggling with their mental health.

“Being cut off from their support networks, grappling with home schooling, losing loved ones, missing family and friends and worrying about their future - children can feel isolated, unsupported and afraid,” he said. “They have been contacting our confidential Childline service in their thousands, seeking advice and support. Many feel they have nowhere else to turn.”

He said trained Childline counsellors were doing an incredible job in difficult circumstances but it wasn’t just up to their volunteers.

“The Government must bring forward a long-term recovery plan that funds local services so children and young people can access the specialist support that they need,” he said.

The Guardian

Susanna Rustin said the overall Nightingale hospital scheme was a costly mistake.

“Manchester’s treated about 100 people with Covid; Exeter’s had 29 patients this month,” she said. “Bristol and Harrogate have provided an overflow service for other patients and services. But Nightingales in Birmingham and Sunderland treated no one at all. In all, about £532m was spent for remarkably little gain.”

She said Parliamentary scrutiny of the Nightingales must come at some stage.

With thousands of empty beds across various sites, the nation has moved on from the idea that seven new hospitals could be created in weeks,” she said. “Without flesh-and-blood Nightingales to fill it, a hospital is just a hollow shell.”