COVID exacerbating self-indulgence and modernisation of the NHS were the issues raised by columnists and contributors in the newspapers.

The Daily Mail

Stephen Glover said there was a widely held belief that we have a human right to feel sorry for ourselves, particularly during a pandemic.

“So Jeremy Mayhew, a prominent member of the City of London’s governing body, has just committed a cardinal sin. It was to tell staff at the Barbican Arts Centre not to ‘feel too sorry’ for themselves,” he said. “His advice to his audience was that they shouldn’t subside into self-pity as they all still have jobs.Horror! Pass the smelling salts!”

He said the chairman wrote to all members of staff to apologise for what was said.

“Allowing for Mayhew’s tendency to speak a little too frankly, it is hard to find much fault in what he said,” he said. “For the most part, this pandemic has brought out the best in us. There are countless stories to raise the spirits, and innumerable unsung heroes. For our country’s sake, let’s hope they far outnumber those self-indulgent and touchy folk who are never happier than when feeling sorry for themselves.”

The Daily Express

Leo McKinstry said civic culture is now dominated by the quest for perpetual victimhood, where individuals are encouraged to wallow in narcissistic self-pity, invented grievance and infantilised helplessness.

“ Ours is a society of hyper-sensitivity, in which every utterance is scrutinised for its capacity to cause offence and every activity is portrayed as a potential catalyst of stress,” he said, also citing the case of Jeremy Mayhew. “With refreshing candour, he urged the staff to see “in perspective the character of the problems that are faced by a place like the Barbican compared with the rest of the world”,” he said.

Coping with Parkinsons, he said, he took comfort from inspirational figures who overcame tremendous physical challenges. “These uplifting examples of courage still bring hope to the world. In contrast, the whingeing of snowflakes is a recipe for despair.”

The Guardian

Bruce Keogh, former national medical director of NHS England, said the NHS had risen to the challenges of the pandemic but it had been a ‘very close run’ thing.

“The NHS was created during a completely different time, so it’s no surprise that some aspects now need modernising and reforming,” he said.

“Covid has exposed the need to address NHS capacity and resilience.

“It’s worth remembering that [it]was founded during a similarly intense period of hardship following WWII.. It was the most ambitious social insurance project in history and became an icon of Britain’s social conscience. Our task now is to ensure its resilience for the future.”