Intensive Care professor concerned by pressure on critical care beds

An intensive care specialist has said she was “extremely concerned” about the levels of demand for critical care beds because of pressures of Covid-19.

 

Professor Charlotte Summers from Cambridge University and who practices in the city, added that the Omicron variant was likely to make the situation worse in terms of treating non-Covid patients.

 

Of the approximately 3,500 patients in intensive care units in England around 900 were people with Covid.

 

Professor Summers said “Difficult decisions are already being made.  Intensive care beds are a finite resource.

 

“About one-in-five to one-in-four ICU beds are currently occupied by patients with Covid, meaning they’re not available for delivering the work that we used them for before the pandemic.

 

“Every day intensive care units and hospitals are making decisions about the kind of activity they can manage to support, particularly around elective surgical cases.”

 

Professor Erica Denton, medical director of The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said “With the new variant, especially among patients not vaccinated, we’re likely to see increasing numbers of people requiring our assistance particularly for ventilation and critical care.

 

“We really don’t know yet how the new variant is going to behalf.  But the evidence suggests that if you’re not vaccinated you’re much more likely to be sick.”

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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