There is no doubt that this is an incredibly challenging time for everyone, in particular for our heroic healthcare professionals in the NHS, who are working harder than ever to combat this pandemic. One the biggest ways the NHS has adapted during this crisis is by increasing capacity. NHS England has told all hospitals to cancel all non-urgent operations for at least 3 months, beginning 15th April, in order to maximise resources towards treating COVID patients. Many private sector companies have also sold beds to the NHS. These measures have freed up 30,000 beds up and down the country, in preparation for an influx of COVID patients.

There is also an increase in the numbers of workers in the healthcare field, approximately 2,600 retired doctors and over 6,000 retired nurses are returning to the NHS, in an attempt to strengthen our frontline against this pandemic. In addition, more than 5,000 final year medical students and more than 18,000 final year student nurses have been asked to join the workforce. This will hopefully mitigate the effects of the small numbers of staff who are taking time off sick. An increasing number of doctors are being trained to use ventilators and some doctors are being asked to relocate, temporarily, from their usual department.  

We have also seen a huge increase in the amount of equipment that is being produced, in particular ventilators. At the beginning of March there were only 4,000 ventilators in the UK, and 80% of them were occupied. However the government has predicted that 30,000 ventilators will be required at the peak of the virus. In light of this increased demand the government has signed a contract with the company Dyson, which has vowed to produce 10,000 ventilators. Other companies have also begun designing and creating ventilators, in fact a group of scientists from Kings College in London has designed a relatively cheaper, low-cost design ventilator which could be manufactured if need be.

Since the end of March we have witnessed a surge in volunteers who have signed up, to help with some of the essential work our NHS staff carry out. NHS had announced that around 250,000 volunteers would be needed; three quarters of a million ended up signing up for the cause, well exceeding all expectations. The main roles of these volunteers is community roles, involving buying groceries and essential items for those who are unable to do so themselves, transporting equipment and supplies between NHS services and sites, and a chat service for those individuals who are at risk of loneliness, as a result of self-isolation.

On the 24th of March the ExCel centre in London temporarily became transformed into ‘the Nightingale’ Hospital. This hospital has 2 wards and can accommodate up to 4,000 patients, and comes with 500 beds, ventilators and oxygen supplies. Many military clinicians have been called up to assist in this hospital, alongside NHS healthcare workers.

All these measures have been put in place in an attempt to drastically improve the ability to our NHS to tackle this pandemic. Only through spending money, time and resources in these respective fields can the NHS be in a position to be able to successfully get through these tough times.