59 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of children's healthcare- consideration of the ethical aspects. (30th November 2020) - Aylett, Sarah
Abstract : The major impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on the health of adults. A small percentage of children have been acutely ill with COVID-19. Urgent reconfiguration of services with centralisation of paediatrics to free up resources for ill adults was carried out in North Thames and routine paediatric services at GOSH and in other Trusts curtailed. During a pandemic, the rights and interests of individuals can be trumped by a utilitarian approach to the provision of services such as health, education and social welfare. However, the ethical aspects of the impact of this on children's health requires consideration. Arguably, children have been the bystanders to this process without involvement of young people in planning these changes (Larcher and Brierley 2020). Children have not been able to access treatment locally and visiting was limited to one adult, even for those children with serious, life threatening illness. Face to face outpatient consultations for ill children have not been accessible and community AHPs and services for children with chronic disease and disability have not been available The principles of minimising harm, and ensuring distributive justice for children should be applied. Most children will recover from COVID- 19, but their future will be affected by the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic.Their right to an open future, necessarily entails that their future interests are fully considered. Reference: Larcher V, Brierley J. Children of COVID-19: pawns, pathfinders or partners? J Med Ethics 2020 Aug;46 (8):508–509. doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106465. Epub 2020 Jun 5.