Doctors face ‘playing God’ over who lives or dies if swine flu overwhelms NHS

Thousands of patients could be denied NHS treatment and left to die under ‘worst-case’ emergency plans for a swine-flu epidemic.

The blueprint would force doctors to ‘play God’ and prioritise intensive-care treatment for those most likely to benefit – ruling out patients with problems such as advanced cancer.

The ‘scoring’ system would be introduced if half the population became infected with flu.

More than 100,000 cases were diagnosed last week alone in the UK. Although the disease has claimed 30 lives, many sufferers have experienced little more than a bad cold, raised temperature and cough.

However health experts are concerned that the H1N1 virus could mutate into something more severe.

The scale of their concern is highlighted in the Department of Health’s report: Pandemic Flu – Managing Demand and Capacity in Health Care Organisations.

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