A Reading charity CEO who has a rare genetic muscle-wasting condition has pleaded with the government and NHS not to let people like him die without giving them a chance.

Dr Jon Rey-Hastie, who lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, raised concerns over British Medical Association coronavirus guidance published last week in a video published on his charity DMD Pathfinders’ YouTube page.

The BMA guidance sets out how care should be rationed if the NHS becomes overwhelmed with new cases as the Covid-19 outbreak moves towards its peak.

It suggests younger, healthier people could get priority over older people and those with underlying illnesses may not get life-saving treatment.

Dr Rey-Hastie, who is 39 years old and has used a ventilator to breathe since he was ten, said he is concerned that “thousands of the most vulnerable people will be denied treatment and left to die”.

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He said: “Based on my current health could live another 15 years. If I get sick and go to the hospital, with this guidance, I would likely be denied critical care based on an assumption that I will take longer to recover.

“I have a loving husband and a caring family. I don’t want to die.”

A total of 134 people in Berkshire have died having tested positive for coronavirus, according to the latest figures from NHS England, with 726 confirmed cases across the county.

6,159 people have died in total across the UK and there have been 55,242 confirmed cases.

Dr Rey-Hastie, who has a PhD in government and is a lived experience consultant for NHS England, added: “Our system has always protected the most vulnerable. Now we are told we will be sacrificed.

“I want to save as many lives as possible but surely not at the cost of our humanity.”

The video has been viewed by more than 10,000 people on YouTube and Jon has received dozens of messages of support.

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Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Dr Rey-Hastie said: “It is the BMA guidance that has worried me the most.

“They are saying the allocation of resources should be based on the capacity of the patient to get better quickly.

“The question is how do doctors make that judgement as to who is going to recover quickly?

“That seems really wrong. Someone like me who has a rare disease could recover quickly.

“I am worried people like me won’t be given the chance to recover. I don’t want to hog resources but I want to have the same chance as everyone else.”

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He said health professionals should instead use first come first serve approach critical care.

The CEO added he is worried some NHS trusts may be “too eager” to put the advice into place before it is needed.

What response has he had since he posted the video?

Dr Rey-Hastie said: “I have got a very good response from the community, particularly charities, disabled people and dieticians.

“I haven’t really had any response from the NHS or medical organisations.

“The NHS said people won’t be judged based on their disability alone. It is important that they said that but it is not very assuring for me because they are still planning on judging people based on their ability to recover quickly.”

What will he do next?

He added: “I will continue to raise awareness and push for it to be changed.

“I really don’t think this is acceptable. I don’t think I am going to be able to change things but I have to try.

“If I could get the message to doctors to not write people like me off then that might be something.

“I sincerely hope I don’t get the virus but I think it is inevitable someone with my condition is going to get it and they are going to be denied help.”