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Scottish Disability Equality Forum along with thistle logo in purple and green

06/11/08 - Nothing to Sniff At: The Scottish Government’s plans to deal with a flu pandemic and its impact on people with disabilities

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The Scottish Government has released plans which potentially deprioritise people with health problems and disabilities for life-saving treatment. Its consultation document “Pandemic Flu: The Scottish Government’s Framework for Responding to an Influenza Pandemic” lays down guidance about what might happen if flu pandemic were to sweep Scotland. It talks about how health and care services should attempt to cope in a scenario where up to 50% of the people in Scotland were showing symptoms of influenza, 4% requiring hospital admission and 2.5% facing risk of death. The consultation has frightening and discriminatory implications for the one in five people in Scotland living with a disability.

At the height of a pandemic the Government would introduce prioritisation criteria in order to cope with demand for treatment and allocate its resources.

Many of the prioritisation criteria suggested could potentially result in the withdrawal of treatment from people with poor underlying health or disabilities, in order to save resources for those seen as having a higher chance of survival. This could include the withdrawing treatment that has already started. Those in the advanced stages of cancer for instance. In the most extreme cases allocations may be required on a first come, first served basis - after assessment of criteria including the overall resource needs of the patients. Further, for those who fail to respond to treatment at an early stage, that treatment could be withdrawn in favour of symptom relief.

  • SDEF understands the need to ration resources but is disappointed that, as is often the case, people with disabilities are the first to suffer from funding constraints. We believe this to be symptomatic of people with disabilities being excluded and undervalued in our society.

  • We believe that the Government has a duty to invest all resources possible in planning, preventing and investing in services to ensure the scenario presented in the consultation does not arise.

  • SDEF believes that the overall resource needs of the patient should not relate to their worthiness of treatment. Further, a person with a disability may have higher resource needs which are entirely unrelated to their chance of survival.

  • People with disabilities may have difficulty communicating their needs and responses and may be denied treatment as a result.

  • It seems illogical to prioritise vulnerable individuals including those with disabilities or poor health for preventative measures such as the flu jab, then putting them to the back of the queue for treatment.

  • SDEF believes these criteria could easily lead to arbitrary decisions being made as to whether to continue treatment.

  • The proposals are clearly contrary to the Government’s duty to promote equal treatment of people with disabilities under the Disability Discrimination Act. They are also contrary to its duty to protect the right to life and the right to be free from discrimination in relation to this right under the Human Rights Act 1998. The Government also has a duty to provide adequate, non-discriminatory, healthcare under the UN Convention of Economic and Social Rights.

We would ask the government to reconsider its position in relation to these criteria and place more value in the health and lives of people with disabilities.

� Copyright Scottish Disability Equality Forum 2003-2008

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SDEF address, 12 Enterprise House, Springkerse Business Park, Stirling, FK7 7UF.  Scottish Charity Number SCO31893.  Company Number SC 243392.   Scottish Executive Logo and SDEF gratefully acknowledges the support of the Scottish Executive