Hospitals across England are almost at breaking point as cases hit more than 53,000 on Wednesday and NHS doctors are days away from making the horrendous job over who lives, and who dies.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr Claudia Paoloni gave the grim warning that the situation is that bad doctors are days away from making “horrendous choices.”
Speaking to the Guardian Dr Paoloni said, “Our NHS just doesn’t have the beds to cope. Some areas will be overwhelmed in days.
“If ventilation capacity is exceeded, horrendous choices will have to be made over those who live and die.”
She added, “A hospital may have to ask itself ‘can we do the cancer surgery today or not, as we only have limited beds and no spare intensive care capacity for emergencies if we use the last bed for a major cancer operation?’”
The deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery warned that their “options were narrowing” and the government must now move areas into the highest tiers necessary.
Cordery added, “Pressures on the NHS in some parts of the country are rising at an unsustainable rate.
“Thankfully, trusts in other areas have been helping out. But with the virus spreading fast alongside mounting winter pressures, the options are narrowing.
“We urgently need to get ahead of the outbreak. The Covid-19 tier review offers an opportunity to do that.
“It will require difficult decisions, moving millions more people to the highest level. The government must act with boldness, speed and clarity in curbing the threat of Covid-19.”
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