Former UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock stated that ‘do not resuscitate’ (“DNR”) orders were wrongly applied during the covid pandemic, and a systemic review of all DNR notices put in place in early 2020 should be considered.

The Telegraph reported yesterday that while giving evidence to the UK Covid Inquiry on Friday, Hancock said it was “obvious” the orders had been “wrongly applied” in some circumstances and backed an investigation into their use during the pandemic.

Hancock acknowledged that the issue of consent is crucial and expressed his support for a review, although he could not recall ministers looking into it during his time in government due to their focus on preventing the problem.

He insisted he acted “immediately” on concerns over the inappropriate use of DNRs during the covid crisis when he was first alerted to them. And claimed to have acted immediately on concerns over the inappropriate use of DNRs, using the daily press conference to address the issue and discussing it with NHS leadership.