Patients may have to be transferred ‘out’ of Black Country hospitals to free up beds if Covid rates continue to climb
Black Country health bosses have been told patients may have to be transferred ‘out’ of local hospitals to free up beds if coronavirus infection rates continue to climb.
The warning comes as Sandwell’s General and City Road hospitals struggle to find space in their intensive care units.
Dr David Carruthers, acting chief executive of Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, has said patients face being sent to other hospitals if more beds can’t be found.
In a report to the trust’s board, he says: “While a lot of time remains focused on managing patients admitted to the organisation with both Covid and non-Covid illness, primarily to the medical beds, there is also increasing pressure on our ICUs.
“Additional capacity is likely to be needed within our surge area on D16 (ward) unless opportunity is identified elsewhere to be able to transfer some of our less unstable patients out.”
He he also warned increasing bed numbers within the trust would draw nurses and doctors away from other patients, saying: “Any additional space utilisation will have an impact of staffing in other areas of the trust so the balance needs to be carefully considered of where staff may be able to be asked to be redeployed.”
The prospect of enforced transfers comes after the leader of Birmingham City council Ian Ward said: “The NHS in the city is under intensive pressure.
"University Hospital Birmingham has 98 per cent of its intensive care beds occupied and Sandwell and City has 100 per cent of its intensive care beds occupied.”
In response to Councillor Ward’s comments, Dr Carruthers, said: “We have seen an increase in the number of patients being treated within our critical care unit.
"As a result we have expanded the area so that we are able to treat more patients with the virus who need intensive care.
“The trust has now exceeded the number of Covid patients seen in the April and November peaks.
"We are working in partnership with other hospitals to help manage the increasing number of patients requiring admission through our emergency departments.”
