Discrimination, Triage and Denial-of-Treatment: Lessons from COVID-19 in the UK

Abstract: Triage is the medical screening of patients to determine their priority for treatment. When demand for medical services swamps supply, triage becomes a public policy imperative. The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK presented policy makers with the prospect of a triage situation as regards life-saving medical interventions. A variety of public policy responses to that challenge are examined, with particular attention to the human rights imperative to avoid discrimination on the basis of age and/or disability. The traditional ‘British triage system’ operates with a well-established meta-schema intended to save the most lives possible with the resources available. Discrimination concerns are identified both as regards the meta-schema itself and as regards one well-publicised attempt to specify and operationalise it for pandemic conditions. Four alternatives to the traditional meta-schema are canvassed.