Doctors have raised concerns that Olympic VIPs could receive fast-track emergency care during the games. 6 v1 @9 z7 y4 {/ x% I# I9 q2 k
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).: e( e5 G3 p9 L \3 R, A
Olympic organisers Locog dismissed the 30-minute claim as an "urban myth".% q. \1 x4 L- F; V7 |
NHS London says the arrangement did appear in a draft agreement but will not be part of new guidance.
- P3 {* ?$ r h! [& TIn 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".
' O i( r1 h: u' q6 s5 f* tHomerton 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. + |) K8 U+ w- v t8 q+ I7 f. B
Liberal Democrat Olympics spokeswoman Baroness Doocey criticised the arrangements.
. V; }& ?1 j& r2 F/ x3 Q/ b3 {# ]"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.
% b" {# T6 S, }1 t2 m$ }' m! ?8 _( {" e"The idea of them jumping the queue is to me, absolutely horrific. It's completely unacceptable and it's morally wrong.
* n6 {/ u/ H; X$ _; y"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."
' X4 u2 Q; f4 f. zThe typical wait for NHS treatment in UCLH's emergency department is 81 minutes, according to the latest statistics, published in December 2011.
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The Department of Health says |
发表于 2012-7-20 22:52:00
