Rapid development of a Clinical Decision-Making Committee in a UK paediatric hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

To date, the Government has not issued any national ethical guidance to support clinical decision-making in England during periods of potentially reduced healthcare resources in the context of the evolving COVID-19 1 pandemic at the time of writing. In the ensuing vacuum left by a lack of national guidance, ethical frameworks and approaches have been drafted by professional bodies, individual hospitals and trusts. It is clear that in delivering healthcare during this pandemic, more specific guidance is needed to ensure fair and consistent allocation policies, to attain public trust and confidence and to support clinicians so that decisions do not fall on them to make alone and unsupported. This article sets out how we in our institution, a UK tertiary and secondary level stand-alone paediatric provider Trust, set up a Clinical Decision-Making Committee to inform proactive clinical and ethical decision-making, to ensure that all patients are treated appropriately and fairly during these unprecedented times.