Coronavirus: NHS ‘needs more beds to cope’

There are plans to double the number of intensive care beds as the health services needs to increase capacity to cope with the spread as the response level in Scotland moved up a stage.

The Scottish Government said it must be ready to respond to the growing demand on the NHS that will come as more people contract the virus.

READ MORE: Fans warned to stay away if you have coronavirus symptoms

Nicola Sturgeon said the ban on mass gatherings was to protect resources and the Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, said that plans for more beds were being put in place over the weekend.

She said there were currently between 200 and 300 intensive care beds and Ms Sturgeon said there were plans to increase general capacity in hospitals and to care for people in the community.

Ms Freeman said the measures being taken were to delay, reduce and protect.

Delay the spread, reduce the impact and protect the most vulnerable including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

She told the Scottish Parliament there were as of yesterday 60 reported cases of coronavirus Covid-19 in Scotland and two were transmitted within the community, not from contact with someone who had been in an affected area abroad.

She said the advice from today is for anyone with symptoms to stay at home for seven days.

Patients should not call their GP or NHS 111 unless their symptoms worsen or condition changes.

The health services will also from today not be routinely testing for coronavirus.

Schools are being advised to cancel trips abroad.

Meanwhile, there are no plans to close schools at the moment.

FM Nicola Sturgeon

The First Minister said the wider implications on the wider workforce and key workers of a decision to close schools would need to be considered and said advice was not to take such a decision too early or it could be counter productive.

In the Republic of Ireland the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced school and universities would close to help contain the spread of the virus.

Ms Sturgeon said she was making decisions for Scotland based on advice and was not commenting on or criticising the decisions of other leaders. 

She said: “I’m not going to second guess what decisions other leaders in other countries are taking.”

The First Minister added: “It is not the advice right now that schools should close, or indeed colleges or universities. 

READ MORE: 'Rangers vs Celtic should be postponed': Labour MSP Monica Lennon calls for 'common sense' amid Sturgeon mass gathering plan

“That is an issue that will be kept under very close ongoing review.

“If it gets to the stage where the advice is to close schools, this will not be for a week or two weeks.

“This will be something that is advised to last throughout the peak of this infection – that is potentially until the summer period.”

Ms Freeman said if schools were to be closed the children would have to be somewhere.

Ms Freeman added if that was at home it would have an impact on public services as parents would need to take time off work.