Neither ‘Crisis Light’ nor ‘Business as Usual’:Considering the Distinctive Ethical Issues Raised by the Contingency and Reset Phases of a Pandemic

Frith, Lucy and Draper, Heather and Fovargue, Sara and Baines, Paul and Redhead, Caroline and Chiumento, Anna (2021) Neither ‘Crisis Light’ nor ‘Business as Usual’:Considering the Distinctive Ethical Issues Raised by the Contingency and Reset Phases of a Pandemic. American Journal of Bioethics, 21 (8). pp. 34-37. ISSN 1526-5161

Abstract

We have been researching the distinctive ethical issues raised by what we have called “the reset period,” when non-Covid services resumed alongside the continuing pandemic in the UK. In this commentary, we will first consider the similarities and differences between the reset and contingency phases, as described by Alfandre et al. We will then unpack Alfandre et al.’s position that the contingency phase should be characterized by operating a standard of care that is functionally equivalent to “usual” practice, arguing that in the reset and contingency phases, the standards of “usual” care may be unobtainable and, in these circumstances, we cannot fall back on the primacy of “patient centered care.” Consequently, different ethical principles and balancing strategies are needed when care is neither “crisis light” nor “business as usual.” We will conclude by reflecting on what these should be.