NHS continuing to provide ongoing care for patients with serious long term conditions

The chief executive of NHS Providers Chris Hopson said:

"The NHS is managing the biggest challenge of its lifetime and has pulled out all the stops to ensure that patients seriously ill with COVID 19 get the care they need.

"But the NHS is also doing all it can to continue providing ongoing treatment to patients with other serious conditions.

"Trust leaders are acutely conscious of the lessons from previous points when NHS capacity was stretched – that the overall level of harm suffered by patients can potentially be much larger than it needs to be if they get this balance wrong.

"That's why trust, regional and national NHS leaders are in constant dialogue about how best to look after all patients in NHS care at a time of unprecedented demand."

Dramatic fall in non-COVID-19 A&E attendances, but seriously ill patients urged to continue to seek help

The deputy chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said:

"If, as the latest figures suggest, A&E attendances are falling sharply, it may be that people are thinking carefully before going in.

"That may be because they are heeding the instruction to stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary.

"For some, who can self-care or get the help they need through other routes, this approach makes sense.

"However, it's vital that patients requiring emergency care understand their NHS A&E is still there for them."

NHS continuing to mount a huge effort to deal with surge in demand

Deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said:

"The evidence is pointing to the outbreak reaching its peak in the next seven to 10 days and the NHS has been preparing for this.

"Over the last few weeks the NHS has mounted an extraordinary effort to build up critical care and bed capacity to manage the additional pressure we are already seeing from COVID-19. 

"That's included freeing up space, staff and beds to support additional patients, changing the way we use community services, retraining staff and working with the private sector.

"The creation of the new Nightingale hospital in London within two weeks from a standing start is an incredible achievement and new hospitals in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Harrogate and Bristol are close to being completed.

"It's clear that the work that is being done by everyone in the NHS has overwhelming support from the public . The NHS is incredibly grateful for this support and want the public to help by staying at home and helping to save lives."

Oxygen supply essential to treating critically ill patients

Chief executive Chris Hopson said:

"The NHS has known for over six weeks that treating COVID-19 requires high levels of ventilation support and accompanying oxygen. We’ve therefore been preparing accordingly. Trusts have been working closely with national NHS leaders and oxygen suppliers to ensure hospitals have enough oxygen supply.

"They've also been working with oxygen system engineers to ensure they have the right piping and ducting to carry oxygen to all the required beds including newly created critical care capacity. There is a particular challenge here given that trusts are currently using unprecedented levels of ventilators and oxygen at the same time. This can put a much higher level of pressure on a hospital’s central oxygen supply system than usual, potentially overloading it.

"We can't comment on individual incidents but a hospital will declare a critical incident if it can’t take any more patients or if it is suffering a serious incident like a fire. At that point a well prepared and frequently rehearsed critical incident plan will kick in. Patients will diverted to other hospitals and, if need be, existing patients will be transferred to other hospitals as well. This is another good example of the benefits of having a National Health Service where trusts are used to helping each other out if they encounter serious problems."