Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Under its reasonable worst-case scenario, the Government expected over 4% of the population might require...
Conclusion
Under its reasonable worst-case scenario, the Government expected over 4% of the population might require hospital admission for COVID-19 and 30% of those would require critical care. NHSE&I told us that the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital had risen from a few hundred in mid-March to 18,000 two weeks later.69 As NHS Providers stated, the healthcare sector responded at pace to ensure that the NHS had enough capacity for the expected large number of COVID-19 patients.70 The additional capacity secured by NHSE&I included new Nightingale hospitals as well as contracts with independent providers for an additional 8,000 beds, 18,700 staff and 1,200 ventilators. The contracts were to run until 28 June but could be extended. Use of the Nightingale hospitals so far has been limited.71