BGS responds to tool published in the Financial Times on Sunday 12th April

13 April 2020

The tool published in the Financial Times on Sunday 12th April to provide a triage score for escalation of patients with COVID-19 to intensive care is not endorsed or supported by the British Geriatrics Society.

It is important that decisions about treatment in intensive care, including intensive care management, are made on an individualised basis, with full knowledge of the patient’s medical history and their physical fitness. Many older patients living with frailty do not benefit from being put on a life support machine, but we must avoid blanket approaches to deciding who can access which medical treatment.