Sunday, October 13

20,000 extra staff to join NHS fight


 

 

Nearly 20,000 fully qualified staff will join the NHS response to coronavirus after a deal with the private sector which will include 8,000 more hospital beds being made available.

National Health Service will also gain access to nearly 1,200 more ventilators and other critical care facilities that have come under intense pressure as the coronavirus crisis intensifies.

The deal will give the NHS access to 10,000 nurses, over 700 doctors and more than 8,000 other clinical staff.

In London, which has been hit the worst by the coronavirus outbreak, the NHS will now have access to 2000 hospital beds, and over 250 operating theatres and critical beds.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said they were dealing with an unprecedented global health threat.

He said: The NHS is doing everything in its power to expand treatment capacity, and is working with partners right across the country to do so.

But it is absolutely vital that this is matched by successful and comprehensive adoption of the public measures needed to cut the spread of the virus.

We all have to play our part to help offset the enormous pressure that our nurses, doctors and other specialists will otherwise face.

Earlier in the week, NHS England suspended all non-urgent surgery for three months from 15 April to free up staff and up to 30,000 beds to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

The private healthcare sector has said it will be provide the use of its capabilities to the NHS at cost meaning without any profit – for a minimum of 14 weeks.