Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to secure additional critical care beds to meet the demand created by the covid-19 outbreak.

It is the Government’s priority that the National Health Service has appropriate equipment to respond to COVID-19. This includes the provision of intensive care beds. The Department is working closely with NHS England and the devolved administrations to ensure this.

NHS England is looking at National Health Service organisations critical care capacity - including the use of independent sector providers where available. This includes making sure they have as much ventilation equipment as possible, as well as the trained and skilled personnel to use it.

Information on critical care bed capacity is published by NHS England and can be found at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/critical-care-capacity/