医学考博每日一读：'A&E fast-track' for Olympic VIPs
Doctors have raised concerns that Olympic VIPs could receive fast-track emergency care during the games.Emails seen by Newsnight suggest that 25,000 people in the "Olympic family" could expect to see a consultant within 30 minutes at University College Hospital (UCLH).
Olympic organisers Locog dismissed the 30-minute claim as an "urban myth".
NHS London says the arrangement did appear in a draft agreement but will not be part of new guidance.
In one email, senior trauma doctors at UCLH raise concerns about a "conflict of interest" if on-call doctors treat VIPs while the department is "struggling with the NHS wait".
Homerton hospital - another Olympic healthcare provider - earlier told the BBC that the 30-minute response time did apply to all hospitals designated to handle Olympic patients.
Liberal Democrat Olympics spokeswoman Baroness Doocey criticised the arrangements.
"It should not be one rule for the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and VIPs and another rule for the taxpayers who are actually paying for the NHS," she said.
"The idea of them jumping the queue is to me, absolutely horrific. It's completely unacceptable and it's morally wrong.
"The idea of them being able to see a senior consultant rather than anyone who happens to be on duty at the A&E department is completely unjustifiable. It is so wrong I cannot even imagine it is happening."
The typical wait for NHS treatment in UCLH's emergency department is 81 minutes, according to the latest statistics, published in December 2011.
The Department of Health says
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