Hancock wanted to decide who lived or died if NHS couldn't cope, inquiry told
Matt Hancock wanted to sideline doctors and decide which patients would live if hospitals became swamped in the pandemic, the Covid Inquiry heard.
In the shock claim, former NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said the then-Health Secretary “took the position that in this situation he, rather than the medical profession, should decide who should live and who should die”. He added: “Fortunately, this horrible dilemma never crystallised.”
The probe discussed an emergency planning exercise in which a “rationing criteria” would have to be drawn up to decide which types of patients got beds if the NHS became overwhelmed by patients both with the virus and without. Lord Stevens’ damning witness statement said: “The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care took the position that in this situation he, rather than, say, the medical profession or the public, should ultimately decide who should live and who should die. Fortunately, this horrible dilemma never crystallised.”
And he told the Central London probe yesterday: “I wanted to discourage the idea that an individual Secretary of State should be deciding how care will be provided. I felt we are well served by the medical profession, in consultation with patients to the greatest extent possible, making those kind of decisions.”
Sir Simon Stevens (PA)Tony Blair ’s former political secretary John McTernan said that he was “astounded” by Mr Hancock’s attitude. He added: “Politicians have a strong sense of self which can look like arrogance. The idea that you should have a list of patients and conditions and say, ‘you live and you die’... I can’t imagine wanting that power, let alone exercising it.”
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Lord Stevens also claimed that during the early stage of the pandemic, ministers “avoided attending” COBRA meetings which were chaired by Mr Hancock. Asked by Andrew O’Connor KC if that was a reflection on the then-Health Secretary, he replied: “I am not saying that was cause and effect but that was the fact of the matter. I just observed that those two coincided.”
Lord Stevens also told how it became clear by the beginning of March 2020 “that if action was not taken to reduce the growth of Covid, the NHS would be overwhelmed”. But dithering PM Boris Johnson did not announce a lockdown until later that month. Department of Health permanent secretary Chris Wormald also gave evidence to the inquiry.
He said of Mr Hancock: “There were a lot of people who said the Secretary of State was overly optimistic about what would happen, and over-promised on what could be delivered.” A number of serious allegations have been made about SAS: Who Dares Wins contestant Mr Hancock during the inquiry. In a scathing WhatsApp message demanding his sacking, former No10 aide Dominic Cummings branded the minister a “proven liar”.
The probe was shown exchanges between Mr Hancock and Mr Cummings from January and February 2020 discussing axing Lord Stevens. In one, the ex-aide complained about the NHS England boss and the Health Secretary “bullsh**ting again”. Responding, Lord Stevens said: “By the standard of Dominic Cummings, that is one of his gentler epithets.”
Mr Hancock quit as Health Secretary in June 2021, after his lockdown rule-breaking fling with his married aide, Gina Coladangelo. He was caught on film kissing her in his office. He was suspended from the Tory Party over his appearance on I’m a Celebrity in December last year and now serves as an independent MP. The inquiry continues on Monday.
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