{"id":121954,"date":"2023-11-30T15:58:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/?p=121954"},"modified":"2023-11-30T15:58:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T15:58:59","slug":"hancock-denies-wanting-to-play-god-in-pandemic-by-deciding-who-should-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/politics\/hancock-denies-wanting-to-play-god-in-pandemic-by-deciding-who-should-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Hancock denies wanting to play God in pandemic by deciding who should live"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matt Hancock gets emotional at the Covid Inquiry<\/h3>\n

Matt Hancock has denied wanting to personally take decisions over who should live or die during the pandemic. Earlier this month, the former head of the NHS Sir Simon Stevens accused Mr Hancock of wanting to decide \u201cwho should live and who should die\u201d in the event of the health service becoming overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Today the former Health Secretary had his opportunity to defend himself against the allegation. Mr Hancock hit back at the claim, saying the planning for \u2018Exercise Nimbus\u2019 in fact led him to decide the complete opposite.<\/p>\n

He argued that minutes from planning for operation Nimbus showed that the NHS asked \u201chow to prioritise when there is insufficient NHS capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a debate around that as you can see in the minutes,” he added.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Michael Gove: The country was not well prepared to deal with pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI concluded that it should be for clinicians, not for ministers to make the decision on this basis, and that\u2019s how we went on and proceeded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe minutes are really clear on that and that is also my clear recollection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sir Simon Stevens made the original allegations in early November, leading to allegations Mr Hancock had wanted to \u2018play God\u2019.<\/p>\n

In his witness statement to the inquiry, Sir Simon wrote that Operation Nimbus \u201cto my mind at least\u201d resulted in \u201can unresolved but fundamental ethical debate about a scenario in which a rising number of COVID-19 patients overwhelmed the ability of hospitals to look after them and other non-COVID patients\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Secretary of State for Health and Social Care took the position that in this situation he – rather than, say, the medical profession or the public – should ultimately decide who should live and who should die.<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately this horrible dilemma never crystallised.\u201d<\/p>\n

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