HEALTH boards across Wales have been asked to retain thousands of beds to enable a ‘safe management’ of a potential ‘realistic worst-case scenario’, a health minister has said.

To help deal with emergency admissions to hospital beds during the winter months, health boards across Wales will achieve the goal by retaining ten field hospitals.

In a written statement by Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services said: “The winter period is always challenging for our health and social care system. However, COVID-19 has added a further dimension to the usual challenges presented by influenza, adverse weather and exacerbations of chronic respiratory conditions often resulting in increased emergency admissions.

“Last week, I published our Winter Protection Plan, setting out how we will work together with the system to deliver safe and resilient services this winter.”

Back in Spring, 19 field hospitals were established around Wales in a matter of weeks to provide additional support for a predicted increase in Covid-19 patients.

Thousands of beds were also identified across existing NHS and independent hospital sites in the event of a reasonable worst-case scenario.

In total provision was made for around 10,000 additional beds, which Mr Gething said was ‘a testament’ to the capability of NHS, Local Authority, independent sector, private sector and military partners who worked ‘round the clock to deliver for the people of Wales’.

In his written statement, he added: “Thankfully, the great majority of the additional beds were not needed at that time. This is primarily because of the support from the public in complying with lockdown restrictions; maintaining good hygiene and social distancing; and changes in the way services were delivered and accessed by the public. I would like to thank everyone in Wales for playing your part.

“As we approach this winter, and with the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, it is highly likely health and social care services will require additional capacity to manage increasing demand for services. We must ensure we retain access to sufficient additional bed capacity to manage any increase in admissions of patients with COVID-19.

“We are now more than 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. We learn more about the virus on a daily basis, and how best to secure positive outcomes for Wales.

“Based on data modelling and ongoing learning from the first peak, health boards were asked to retain 5,000 beds across Wales to enable safe management of a potential realistic worst case scenario caused by a spike in emergency admissions to hospital beds.”

Health boards will achieve this goal by retaining ten field hospitals across four health boards in Wales, capable of providing approximately 2,600 additional beds. This will be supplemented by an additional 2,500 beds available in a combination of existing NHS hospital facilities; through the opening of one new NHS hospital facility; and a new modular building on the site of an existing hospital.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has agreed to retain Venue Cymru in Llandudno; Ysbyty Enfys Deeside at the Deeside Leisure Centre; and the Brailsford Centre at Bangor University. A number of additional beds will also be made available in existing NHS hospital sites to secure an overall total of 1,198 additional beds.

Mr Gething added: “Crucially, this additional capacity is intended to enable health boards to continue to undertake planned surgical procedures and manage urgent and emergency care demand during the historically challenging winter period; in addition to the management of any potential increases in numbers of patients admitted to a hospital bed caused by COVID-19.

“I would like to thank Local Authority, independent sector, private sector and NHS partners for their ongoing support in enabling additional capacity to be established and retained at scale for the remainder of 2020/2021.”