Re: Ethical road map through the covid-19 pandemic
Dear Editor,
The development of an ethical plan for national strategy, the formal implementation of such ethical guidance and research to guide its formulation could only be of great help. That said, the scope of this must be debated. Although it would be possible to develop such a strategy for healthcare decisions, the integration of this into the field of population policy may be met with more hesitancy. Although ethical guidance may advise policymakers, this guidance is unlikely to have a smooth transition into implementation. This is especially the case in a climate where health concerns are being pitted against economic forecasts (the UK experienced a 35% fall in GDP in the second quarter of 2020[1]), while it is unclear where public opinion lies. An independent body researching how to weigh up such decisions may find its guidance overlooked by government, yet may be of great support for policy makers, and ought to be supported whole-heartedly.
Rapid Response:
Re: Ethical road map through the covid-19 pandemic
Dear Editor,
The development of an ethical plan for national strategy, the formal implementation of such ethical guidance and research to guide its formulation could only be of great help. That said, the scope of this must be debated. Although it would be possible to develop such a strategy for healthcare decisions, the integration of this into the field of population policy may be met with more hesitancy. Although ethical guidance may advise policymakers, this guidance is unlikely to have a smooth transition into implementation. This is especially the case in a climate where health concerns are being pitted against economic forecasts (the UK experienced a 35% fall in GDP in the second quarter of 2020[1]), while it is unclear where public opinion lies. An independent body researching how to weigh up such decisions may find its guidance overlooked by government, yet may be of great support for policy makers, and ought to be supported whole-heartedly.
[1] ‘Coronavirus analysis’, Office for Budget Responsibility. https://obr.uk/coronavirus-analysis/ (accessed May 25, 2020).
Competing interests: No competing interests