Cuts are only part of the reason the NHS faces such challenges

The Institute for Government and the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy say that health staff became more stretched, buildings were not maintained, and equipment not bought.

There is no doubt that NHS was and is under pressure. There is little doubt that the calibre of health provision in the UK is behind a number of other first world countries.

And it is hardly surprising that austerity reduced the scope of many public services, not just in health. That, however, is only part of the story. Political cowardice helped create this situation. The Labour government up to 2010 spent too much and built up big debts, in a bid to be popular. The coalition Tory-Liberal replacement had to restore finances.

But even they deferred difficult decisions over matters such as hospital rationalisation and public sector pensions. Failure to reform reduced available funds for frontline services. In Northern Ireland, this is particularly so. For 20 years, successive medical experts have called for overhaul of NHS provision, yet Stormont has been too fearful of voters implement that reform. They failed to tell people change was needed. Meanwhile, free prescriptions were thrown at people.

The Covid-19 crisis has not merely been a health one, but also an economic one. It is far from clear how the government support will ultimately be funded. Sweeping cuts to public services cuts and tax hikes are both likely.

While public sector workers are untouched, indeed get pay rises (not just frontline heroes), the private sector faces ruin. Yet at Stormont it is still as if money grows on trees, with almost daily photo opps of ministers announcing grants.

Financial gravity cannot be deferred indefinitely. Either we stay in Covid restrictions, and accept that everyone’s income will fall in one way or another. Or we try to get things back to normal, with targeted shielding of the vulnerable.