Doctors have raised concerns that Olympic VIPs could receive fast-track emergency care during the games. * [5 B& L' u: E1 ` o2 d
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).
; ~, X0 x: J* I! [Olympic organisers Locog dismissed the 30-minute claim as an "urban myth".
/ u8 N* d; C3 {) \9 z* uNHS London says the arrangement did appear in a draft agreement but will not be part of new guidance.
* s5 G. F8 W' N! j8 z( i, `% k/ GIn 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".
5 p: Z3 X8 A; s% K* N- B# sHomerton 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.
5 ?3 |- O x5 g9 F8 ~" ?1 hLiberal Democrat Olympics spokeswoman Baroness Doocey criticised the arrangements.
" T, j+ }, _" T6 [6 Q: k! z"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. ; r3 y8 f' G- h$ j4 @
"The idea of them jumping the queue is to me, absolutely horrific. It's completely unacceptable and it's morally wrong. . k j, G! `' @, S8 l4 e% {0 ^. U
"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."5 ~3 b8 x% L7 T! R$ S" D6 Y( Y, o
The typical wait for NHS treatment in UCLH's emergency department is 81 minutes, according to the latest statistics, published in December 2011./ z$ c- U9 h+ B3 E. ]! g6 D
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The Department of Health says |