NHS Chief Reveals Terrifying Fears of Overwhelmed Hospitals Amid Covid Crisis
- Senior NHS officials developed a 'Covid-19 decision tool' to prioritize patient care during the pandemic.
- The tool assessed patients based on criteria like age and existing health conditions, but was never publicly issued.
- Prof Sir Stephen Powis highlighted the need for better societal involvement in creating such tools in future crises.
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director at NHS England, expressed his personal fears about hospitals being overwhelmed during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid inquiry revealed that senior NHS officials drafted a document outlining how to prioritize patient care if the healthcare system became unable to cope with a surge in cases. This 'Covid-19 decision tool' assigned points based on criteria like age and underlying health conditions, aiming to guide decisions about intensive care admissions. However, the tool was not made public due to concerns over its controversial nature and the potential for misuse. Ultimately, work on the document was halted when it became clear in late March 2020 that the peak of the first Covid wave was approaching, and NHS capacity issues would not occur. Sir Stephen emphasized the importance of societal consultation when developing such tools, highlighting the need for these discussions to occur outside of crisis situations to ensure proper ethical consideration.