Given there's been a lot of press in the last couple of days - including on the BBC national news - about how 40% ICU beds in Paris are full but Merseyside is apparently the third worst hit area for cases in Europe ahead of Paris, I have wondered how the city is doing for ICU beds.
Hannah Miller @hannahITV Oct 7
I understand intensive care units at Aintree hospital and Royal Liverpool are around half full with COVID patients - the Trust is increasing the number of ICU beds and trying to keep planned surgery going
BBC Radio Manchester @BBCRadioManc 11hrs ago
Leading intensive care consultant, Professor Jane Edelston, from Manchester Royal Infirmary, says Covid patients are currently taking up around 30% of ICU beds in Greater Manchester. That's more than doubled since the start of September.
(thats particular tweet is not terribly clear if its 30% of occupied of 'all beds' or 'all beds occupied' but next tweet clarifies which)
BBC Radio 4 Today @BBCr4today
We are seeing a "concerning" rise in Covid admissions to critical care in Greater Manchester, up to 7 a day, says Prof Jane Eddleston, an intensive care consultant at Manchester Royal Infirmary, adding "about 30 percent of our beds" are taken up #R4Today
Warrington and Halton NHS Trust are reporting they currently have 9 people in ICU. (This is two hospitals - I believe Warrington General has 20 ICU beds - and I have been told they are trying to direct all covid patients to Warrington and keep them out of Halton General. What this means for ICU capacity and planning overall I'm not entirely sure).
I can't find any figures for St Helens and Knowsley.
Looking around elsewhere I found that Bradford Royal has a standard of 16 ICU beds. But in their planning in March, they were working on the assumption of needing 150 ICU beds minimum, but were planning for up to 500 at peak see article below:
www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18341275.huge-numbers-extra-icu-beds-needed-bradford-battle-coronavirus/?ref=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
also see
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52078012
Which also states the 16 standard but up to 500 planning.
Which perhaps does put the current numbers at Liverpool re ICU capacity into a bit more context for planning - but also shows the extent to which hospitals will have to clear everything else.
That also makes the prolongued use of the Manchester Nightingale look bad too though.
It also provides a good deal of background to why Mid Wales (one hospital, 16 ICU beds - long distance to nearest alternative) has shut its borders to non residents.
It shows some of the logistics needed here. But we've also been told (local BBC news) that unlike last time they intend to keep other services running as much as possible so 'clearing the decks' can't be done to the same extent either.
Its both slightly worrying but also concerning at the same time.
To also put into context, someone DH knows died a couple of weeks ago from cancer. He was diagnosed less than a week earlier.