Allowing for the utilitarian approach, it is recognised that in mass casualty incidents, the standard of care for all patients, including those not immediately related to the incident, may need to be adjusted and reduced. While this may infringe individual rights, the higher ethical principle of 'wellness of society as a whole' allows for the direction of resources to those where it is felt most effective. It may also allow for an expansion in the scope of practice of non-physicians [37] .