for now, chris hopson, _ still about this. there are.e detailed information from you probably tomorrow as well. some sport now. yes. yes. good afternoon. we will start with cricket. england's hopes of beating india in the second test look to be crumbling in the dust in chennai after they were bowled out for 134 on day 2. india need a win to level the series and are well on course to get it, asjoe wison reports. sum up sunday in chennai? well, that. england began 329 behind. rory burns — 0—1. but what happens ifjoe root fails — like this? out for six. axar patel�*s first test wicket. now the crowd seemed closer than ever. pitch bear, ball spinning, fielders crowding and dan lawrence falling. problems — serious problems. ben stokes, bowled. ravichandran ashwin, masterful in india. captain kohli conducted the fans — listen! cheering real noise. while rishabh pant flew to get 0llie pope. ben foakes steered and survived — an honourable 42 not out. but ashwin's fifth wicket meant 134 all out. india batting again, rohit sharma—style. the lead,

these numbers are impressive. 0ne slight note of caution i want to say, just off the phone with chris hopsone done, but he says it is not sustainable in the long term. they have had to divert from the normal work, but we have to think about there will be we in a couple of weeks' time, in a year's time, if we have to deal with boosters, top ups, new variants, that kind of thing. aha, boosters, top ups, new variants, that kind of thing.— boosters, top ups, new variants, that kind of thing. a big day coming u - , that kind of thing. a big day coming u, a that kind of thing. a big day coming u - , a week that kind of thing. a big day coming up, a week tomorrow _ that kind of thing. a big day coming up, a week tomorrow the _ that kind of thing. a big day coming up, a week tomorrow the return - that kind of thing. a big day coming up, a week tomorrow the return of| up, a week tomorrow the return of kids to school, blitzing from the government on lateral flow test, presumably because there are fears that the are a number which we all have been following for a year now, could potentially increase wi

are pretty impressive. 0ne slight note of caution i want to say, i was just off the phone with chris hopson the big trusts in england, and he said it's an extraordinary job that his colleagues in the nhs have done, but he says it is not sustainable in the long term. they're having to divert resources away from the normaljobs that the nhs does in order to manage this roll—out, and he says it's fine for the moment, but we have to think about there will be we in a couple of months' time, in a year's time, if these vaccination programmes have to continue to deal with boosters, top ups, new variants, that kind of thing. 0k, a big date coming up, a week tomorrow, the return of kids to school, a blitz from the government with lateral flow tests, as well, presumably because there are fears that the r number, which we all have been following for a year now, could potentially increase with kids go back to school. that's right, the data on children in school has never been certain, it's always been mixed, it's a really hard thing to measure, the impact of children going back to school, how it affects

and chris hopson, the chief executive of nhs providers, has been giving his reaction to today�*s newsed. so it is fantastic, it is amazing. we are incredibly proud in the nhs of what has been achieved. and at a time when nhs staff are exhausted, and have already been through months, a year nearly, of this pandemic. just talk us through the actual logistics. you have had to recruit a lot of volunteers as well, how time—consuming has that been, and how fast is the pick—up on that? it is an incredibly complex logistical chain of delivery. we have to get the vaccines in from the manufacturers. they come into a central warehouse. you have got to get vaccines out straightaway on to the front line for use the following day. they have to be stored at very precise temperatures or else they are rendered ineffective. we then have to make sure we have staff available in dedicated facilities that are separate from many health care facilities, so there is no danger of cross infection from patients with covid. we have to make sure all the staff are in place. they have to be properly trained. we then

chris hopson, the chief executive of nhs providers, has written to the prime minister warning that caseing list for routine operations, such as hip and knee replacements in england, has been rising steadily with hospitals having to cope with the surge in covid patient numbers. it went above 4.5 million in december. reform says that number understates the scale of the problem as last year there were nearly 6 million fewer people than in 2019 referred by their gps for treatment. if that many patients start returning to the system, the think tank argues, and capacity is still limited, the waiting list could hit 10 million in england by april. nhs england says twice as many nonurgent treatments were delivered and three times as many diagnostic checks carried out in the second covid wave compared with the first. and nhs providers, representing trusts in england, says restrictions should not be eased by the government until capacity has returned to levels where hospitals can treat all the patients they need to. hugh pym, bbc news. well to discuss this further, we can speak now to dr rob findl

chris hopson, chief executive of nhs providers, has written to the prime minister saying case numbers. it comes as research from the think tank reform suggests waiting lists for non—urgent treatment in england could hit 10 million by april, as our health editor hugh pym reports. the total waiting list for routine operations, such as hip and knee replacements in england, has been rising steadily with hospitals having to cope with the surge in covid patient numbers. it went above 4.5 million in december. reform says that number understates the scale of the problem as last year there were nearly 6 million fewer people than in 2019 referred by their gps for treatment. if that many patients start returning to the system, the think tank argues, and capacity is still limited, the waiting list could hit 10 million in england by april. nhs england says twice as many nonurgent treatments were delivered and three times as many diagnostic checks carried out in the second covid wave compared with the first. and nhs providers, representing trusts in england, says restrictions should not be eased by

i'm joined now by chief executive of nhs providers chris hopson. chris, hello to you.going back a few years to 2019, nhs providers and others were involved in discussions about what reforms were necessary within the nhs in england. i think some of that discussion, some of that input from you is now in these proposals from the health secretary, so, broadly, you welcome this?— the health secretary, so, broadly, you welcome this? yes, i mean, we know that the _ you welcome this? yes, i mean, we know that the nhs _ you welcome this? yes, i mean, we know that the nhs is _ you welcome this? yes, i mean, we know that the nhs is rather - know that the nhs is rather struggling with the idea that the social care, gps and hospitals, community, mental health and ambulance services were in a sense of family which should all be working together but we were separated at birth in 19118 when we were effectively put into three different places, and i think there a real opportunity now to bring that family together much more effectively. my favourite story if you don't mind me tell you a

let's speak to chris hopson, chief executive of nhs providers, which represents hospitals and other nhs9,000. so we know that hospitals are very busy _ so we know that hospitals are very busy we _ so we know that hospitals are very busy. we know that in particular intensive — busy. we know that in particular intensive care units are very busy. we are _ intensive care units are very busy. we are running at about 65% higher occupancy— we are running at about 65% higher occupancy in intensive care units than _ occupancy in intensive care units than we — occupancy in intensive care units than we were this time last year. those _ than we were this time last year. those numbers are actually coming down _ those numbers are actually coming down more — those numbers are actually coming down more slowly. so the nhs, i mean. _ down more slowly. so the nhs, i mean. yes. — down more slowly. so the nhs, i mean, yes, we have crested the peak, but if— mean, yes, we have crested the peak, but if you _ mean, yes, we have crested the peak, but if you don't mind the mountaineering analogy, we are still at