NI could soon surpass hospital admissions during first wave, minister warns

Health Minister Robin Swann addressing the media at a press conference in Parliament Buildings, Stormont (PA)

The number of patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is set to exceed those seen in the first wave of the pandemic within one to two weeks if current trends continue, the health minister has warned.

Robin Swann said cases of the virus are currently doubling every 10 days, and hospital admissions every nine days.

“If current trends remain unabated, hospital inpatients will exceed those of wave one in one-two weeks and ICU inpatients will exceed wave one shortly afterwards,” he said in a statement to the Assembly.

Infection control nurse Colin Clarke looks out from a Covid-19 recovery ward at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA)

Earlier Northern Ireland recorded a new daily high in the number of Covid cases (1,299) as part of a total of 6,708 new positive cases notified in the last seven days.

As of Friday, there were 213 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 26 in intensive care.

There were also two deaths reported on Friday, taking the toll recorded by the department to 608.

In his weekly update to MLAs, Mr Swann said the increase in cases “far outstripped” the increase in testing since the start of the pandemic.

He said while there are some early indications that the previous Northern Ireland-wide restrictions are starting to make an impact, the levels of prevalence “remain deeply concerning however and are still among the highest in Europe”.

Turning to the impact on the health service, the minister said due to the rising number of patients and numbers of staff self-isolating, all trusts are experiencing pressures in their emergency departments.

Mr Swann said the department’s response plan focuses on 10 key actions to be rapidly implemented.

A nurse disinfects work surfaces at the Mater Hospital Covid-19 recovery ward in Belfast (Niall Carson/PA)

These include structured collaboration between primary and secondary care; working towards a phone first model to improve access to clinical advice and reduce unnecessary attendance at emergency departments; scheduling urgent care through appointments to reduce waiting room overcrowding and waits for treatment; avoiding unnecessary admission to hospital and timely discharge from hospital.

“These actions will support the development of an enhanced range of safe and effective elective and unscheduled care services to patients which do not rely on patients presenting at an ED,” Mr Swann said.

“The underlying intention of all of the actions is to make sure patients can access the care they need, in the right setting, as quickly as possible.”