Covid inquiry told top NHS doctor was terrified

The most senior doctor in NHS England has said he was "personally terrified" that hospitals could have been overwhelmed in the early stages of the pandemic.

Prof Sir Stephen Powis told the Covid inquiry officials had drawn up a draft document advising whose care should be prioritised if the NHS found itself unable to cope with the surge in patients.

The 'Covid-19 decision tool' assigned points based on a patient's age, frailty and underlying conditions. A high score meant they might not be admitted to intensive care if services were overwhelmed.

The tool was never issued publicly, after it became clear infections might have already reached a peak in March 2020.

Sir Stephen, who still serves as national medical director at NHS England, said the senior clinicians who were asked to draw up the plans at short notice "did a magnificent job" that "nobody ever wants to do".

"But it became absolutely clear to me that this was going to be controversial, [and] that it hadn't had the opportunity to be discussed more widely with patient groups, [or] with the public," he added.

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Source: BBC News, 7 November 2024