NHS seeks to free up 30,000 beds ready for coronavirus surge

The proposals were laid out today by NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens who was called before the Health and Social Care Select Committee to give an update on his plans for handling the crisis.

"There is no health service in the world that would be able to [cope] if this virus was let rip"

Sir Simon Stevens

His aim is to expand critical care capacity to the maximum by repurposing more than 30,000 of NHS England's 100,000 general and acute beds.

To help achieve this, providers are being told to postpone all non-urgent elective operations from 15 April at the latest for a period of least three months.

However, when asked if he felt confident that the NHS had enough intensive care beds, Sir Simon said he would keep the situation “under review”.

Chair of the committee, Jeremy Hunt, noted that the most recent modelling suggested that 4% of coronavirus cases would need a hospital bed, of which 30% would need an intensive care bed.

Sir Simon said: “There is no health service in the world that would be able to [cope] if this virus was let rip.”

Therefore, the social distancing measures revealed yesterday must take effect in order to reduce the peak pressure on the NHS, he added.

Sir Simon described current actions as “pulling out all the stops” to have as many staff, beds and facilities available for that peak.

“Frankly, we’re going to have to keep this under review and if it turns out that further measures are required in order to reduce the number of people who get this virus, then that will be something that policy-makers and government will have to consider," he added.

Meanwhile, an urgent plea has been issued to providers to discharge all hospital inpatients who are medically fit to leave.

New government funding will be committed for "discharge packages" to help put the provision in place to allow patients to move into the community.

However, many hospices, care homes and social care services will require a negative Covid-19 test before taking a patient.

Sir Simon added: “As we look to discharge patients into extra community health services or potentially palliative care services, social services, we will have to tackle that.”

Quicker inpatient discharge will be included in the emergency legislation that is set to go to parliament this week.

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said the discharge interventions could free up around 15,000 beds.

“These viral infections can adapt and change and we must keep an eye on everything"

Patrick Vallance

Sir Simon also confirmed that the NHS had access to just under 12,000 ventilators, amid criticism over government calls to manufactures to build more.

But when asked if this will be enough, he said that it will depend on factors such as clinical protocols.

He added: “It will also depend, frankly, on the extent we as the people of this country respond to the ask that has been made of us.

“It’s very important that collectively we do because that is what will keep the infection rate down.”

Regarding personal protective equipment (PPE), Sir Simon admitted that there had been distribution issues but assured the committee that the NHS had enough PPE for now – but will need more depending on how the outbreak escalates.

"Education packages" will also be rolled out to a range of NHS staff who have been drafted into roles they may be less familiar with.

Refresher training for all clinical and patient-facing staff will be rolled out in the next two weeks.

Sir Patrick Vallance, former consultant and chief scientific advisor to the government, confirmed that NHS staff would benefit from ramped up coronavirus testing.

He said: “These viral infections can adapt and change and we must keep an eye on everything, from the clinical picture through to outcomes, through to different stages to make sure that we are always dealing with what we think we’re dealing with.”

He also added that it was likely that even when the initial peak was over, the virus would return in some capacity.

“All of the evidence from previous epidemics of this type of infection would suggest that you can’t avoid this bubbling back up again," said Sir Patrick.

The new measures will also set out today in a letter to health and care providers from Sir Simon and NHS chief operating officer Amanda Pritchard.