Whitty says synthesis of science is ‘absolutely critical’ in pandemic

Chief medical officer says difficult policy questions require “large number of sciences to be integrated”

UK academia has failed to recognise the value of “synthesis” work that integrates different sciences, which was crucial to the pandemic response, Chris Whitty has said.

Speaking at a conference on the use of science in policymaking, the chief medical officer said there were “very few policy questions you can answer with” a single science, or “even two or three sciences”.