Question reference: S6W-00439
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 3 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the intensive care bed capacity has been in each week of 2021, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Baseline ICU capacity in Scotland is 173 adult beds providing level 3 care. NHS Boards retain the ability to double their baseline ICU capacity to 360 within one week, treble to 585 in two weeks and, if required, extend this to over 700, subject to staff and supplies. The double capacity figures by board (excluding NHS Golden Jubilee) are given in the following table and are published in Coronavirus (COVID-19): modelling the epidemic (issue no. 32).
Coronavirus (COVID-19): modelling the epidemic (issue no. 32) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Health Board | Double Capacity and Commitment to deliver in one week |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 20 |
NHS Borders | 10 |
NHS Dumfries and Galloway | 8 |
NHS Fife | 20 |
NHS Forth Valley | 14 |
NHS Grampian | 30 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 76 |
NHS Highland | 16 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 40 |
NHS Lothian | 55 |
NHS Orkney | 0 |
NHS Shetland | 0 |
NHS Tayside | 22 |
NHS Western Isles | 4 |
The Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group report on COVID-19 gives regional information on ICU admissions since the beginning of the pandemic. NHS Boards have flexed capacity throughout to effectively meet demand. In 2021 national level 3 ICU occupancy has peaked at 32% above baseline capacity on 02 February 2021.
The latest SICSAG publication can be found here: Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit Group report on COVID-19 2 June 2021 - Data & intelligence from PHS (isdscotland.org)
The government is committed to ensuring there is resilience and capacity in the health and social care system to aid us in our mobilisation, support staff to recover from previous Covid-19 waves, and to manage the need to remain vigilant against any future waves.
This is exemplified by our investment in health and wellbeing services for NHS staff, and our commitment to increase baseline ICU capacity by 30 to at least 203 beds.
I announced the commitment to increase baseline ICU capacity in parliament on the 01 June 2021.