Increased intensive care capacity as Liverpool prepares for surge in coronavirus patients
Admissions are rocketing at an alarming rate
As Coronavirus cases continue to spiral, we're hearing hospitals in Liverpool are increasing intensive care capacity to cope with an expected surge in patients.
It comes as the latest figures show infection rates right across the City Region are rocketing with the average number of people testing positive doubling in the past seven days
That's being reflected in hospital admissions - 622 were in a Covid Bed at the last count - compared to 388 the previous week.
Head of Liverpool's CCG Fiona Lemmens says our local NHS services are at a critical point :
"The staff are amazing, they have expanded capacity to provide care for people, they've increased the number of ITU beds and because they've done that they are coping at the moment.
"What's really worrying is the rate in which admissions are increasing and we know more community infections this week will lead to more hospital admissions in the next two to three weeks and following that, sadly, more deaths."
Yesterday, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens told MP's that the virus "is spreading out of control" in many parts of the country with rates in Merseyside increasing by half in just seven days.
He told the Commons Public Accounts Committee:
“In London perhaps one in 30 people has the coronavirus, in parts of London it may be twice that number.
“If you look across other regions of England the issue is that coronavirus is once again on the rise.
“In Merseyside in just the last week there has been a further 50% increase in the number of Covid hospitalisations.
“So this is a very serious moment for the country and for the National Health Service.
“It’s worth remembering that this affects all ages – a quarter of the Covid admissions to hospital right now are for people aged under 55.”
That big increase is concerning officials here, Fiona Lemmens Is worried about the strain being placed on our local NHS staff :
"What they have to deal with is really traumatic, it's exhausting for them. It's the same for all services though in the NHS and social care; our GP practices are busier than they've ever been for this time of year before, the pressure is right across the system".