The GP surgery in South Wales, Lynfi Surgery, sent the letter to those patients with severe health conditions, which include cancer and motor neurone disease. It left some patients feeling “worthless” and like they had received a “death warrant”. The letter made it clear that some patients with severe health conditions will not be offered hospital admission, nor a ventilator bed, if they were to contract COVID-19.

Patients of surgery who received the letters described how it was “like having a death warrant being sent by the grim reaper”, especially as the death toll from COVID-19 has reached 2,352 in the UK.

It said: “We would therefore like to complete a DNACPR form for you which we can share with the OOH [out of hours] GP services and which will mean that in the event of a sudden deterioration in your condition because of a Covid-19 infection or disease progression the emergency services will not be called and resuscitation attempts to restart your heart or breathing will not be attempted.”

One recipient of the letter said: “It not only greatly upset me but my family and close friends.

“It was like having my death warrant being sent by the grim reaper.

“It made me feel worthless. I’ve lived with cancer for eight years and I want to live another couple of years. I’m not digging my grave yet.”

The UK’s Resuscitation Council has said on their website that the form is there to stop someone from suffering for longer than they need to and allow them to die a “dignified death”.

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Doctors in Europe have been forced to make decisions about who should receive healthcare.

The letter has states that the surgery will not “abandon” patients, but they need to be “frank”.

It said: “We will not abandon you but we need to be frank and realistic about what the next few months holds for all of us.”

A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said: “A letter was recently sent out from Llynfi Surgery to a small number of patients.

“We have been made aware that the letter has caused upset to some of the patients who received it.

“This was not the intent and the surgery apologise for any distress caused.

“Staff at the surgery are speaking to those patients who received the letter to apologise directly and answer any concerns they may have.”

The UK Government has called for more ventilators to treat patients.