Pulse in the Press: Patients given inflated Covid risk scores due to missing data

An exclusive Pulse story on how over 400,000 patients may have been given an inflated risk score under the new QCovid algorithm has been picked up by the Daily Mail and Telegraph.

Pulse learnt that where certain information is missing from a record held by NHS Digital or is recorded as unknown, default values are used by the algorithm – taking a ‘precautionary approach’ with regards to their Covid risk.

NHS Digital explained that this means that patients for whom no weight has been recorded are analysed as if they are obese (BMI 31), as this patient group are the most vulnerable to severe Covid illness. 

The story was picked up by the Daily Mail and Telegraph.