Matt Hancock has admitted “do not resuscitate orders” were “wrongly applied” during Covid and should be “reviewed” – but defended lockdown and said its supporters need to unite to defeat sceptics. The Telegraph has the story.
The former Health Secretary told the Covid Inquiry the practice [of DNRs] had been used inappropriately during the crisis, denying people access to potentially life-saving treatment.
He also suggested the U.K. should lock down faster in the event of a future pandemic, despite concerns over the impact of the “medieval” measures.
“Do not resuscitate” (DNR) orders, which instruct doctors not to attempt CPR if a patient’s heart or breathing stops, are generally only supposed to be drawn up with the clear agreement of the person in question.
But concerns were raised during the crisis that blanket DNRs had been imposed on vulnerable people without their consent.
Giving evidence to the Covid Inquiry on Friday, Mr. Hancock said it was “obvious” the orders had been “wrongly applied” in some circumstances and backed an investigation into their use during the pandemic.
The former Health Secretary was asked whether he would support a “systemic review” of all DNR notices put in place in early 2020.
He replied: “I certainly think a review like that should be looked at because it’s obvious that there were cases when DNR notices were wrongly applied. And I think the issue of consent is so important here.” …
Critics have raised questions about whether the benefits of lockdowns outweighed the impact on economic growth, children’s education and people’s mental health.
But Mr. Hancock suggested the U.K. should act even faster in the event of a future pandemic, telling the inquiry: “There needs to be a national debate, in my view, about how we respond immediately.”
He said: “The absolute number one thing that we can do to avoid this sort of trauma for NHS staff is to bring in lockdown measures early in response to a pandemic-level pathogen.
“And I think that those who understand the consequence of waiting before bringing in measures that are going to be necessary need to unite to win that argument.
“There are still people making the argument that lockdown wasn’t necessary, or in future we should try to do without it.
“I think that is false, wrong and dangerous, and the case needs to continue to be made so that should a pandemic-potential pathogen [hit us], which could happen at any time, we’re ready.”
Worth reading in full.
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