ICU doctors now face the toughest decisions they will ever have to make | Tim Cook

The scale of coronavirus in the UK means we need a clear framework on who should be treated

Tim Cook is an ICU doctorCoronavirus latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage

The most certain feature of a pandemic is uncertainty. For NHS health workers, this is all around us. Many doctors are now being "side-skilled" (a new term) so they can help provide intensive care to patients. It's important that the public understand what intensive care units (ICU) are, as this will make clear what faces us in the coming weeks and months.

In all major hospitals, the ICU is for patients with an illness that immediately threatens their survival. Treatment is provided with machines and drugs that take over the roles of their organs, while sedation suspends the patient and allows their body to recover. These kinds of treatment cannot happen on normal wards. Skilled care is provided by an army of nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists and dietitians. ICU doctors work together with radiologists, microbiologists, surgeons, cardiologists, physicians and pathologists.

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