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Bed occupancy in Bristol hospitals at ‘all-time’ low
Hospitals in Bristol are only half-full of patients despite the coronavirus pandemic, it has been revealed.
But at least 20 care providers who run care homes, supported living or extra care housing have reported cases of Covid-19, according to a report to councillors.
Bristol City Council’s new director of adult social care Hugh Evans told a meeting of the overview and scrutiny management board (OSMB) that hospital bed occupancy was at an “all-time, unforeseeable low”.
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The empty beds at the BRI and Southmead are the result of the cancellation of non-urgent operations and other treatment that requires a stay in hospital and the South West having the lowest number of confirmed cases and deaths for Covid-19.
But there is still “significant concern” that patients being released from hospital into care homes present a high risk of spreading the virus.
The empty beds at the BRI and Southmead are the result of the cancellation of non-urgent operations and other treatment. Photo of Southmead Hospital ©Barbara Evripidou2016
Updating councillors on the situation in Bristol, Evans said the city had sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline staff.
Lib Dem Cllr Anthony Negus told the meeting on Friday (April 24): “I am very concerned about the discharge of patients from hospital back into care homes. Even though they will have been tested, they are at high risk of bringing back problems to a care home which is itself a high-risk institution full of high-risk people.”
Evans said: “It is a matter of significant concern. The curve in the South West has been flattened and elongated so we are not seeing huge pressures for hospital places or for care at this stage.
“I am confident at this stage that, because of the new government guidance, everybody who leaves hospital will be tested to ensure we know their Covid-19 status. Because of the sterling work that has gone on among health and care workers in the last few weeks, the hospital occupancy levels in Bristol are at an all-time and unforeseeable low.
“There is 50 per cent bed occupancy, plus there is the new Nightingale facility that puts additional bed capacity into the system. In the longer term, we won’t be able to rule out that people won’t be discharged to care homes that have still got Covid-19 but at this stage, there won’t be any need to because there is sufficient capacity in hospitals and the new Nightingale facility to ensure that people can be clear of Covid-19 before they are discharged.”
Bristol’s pop-up hospital for coronavirus patients officially opened on Monday, April 27 in a virtual ceremony attended by Prince Edward and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
The Nightingale hospital is housed inside a conference centre at UWE’s Frenchay campus and will provide up to 300 intensive care beds if hospitals hit capacity.
Evans told the OSMB meeting: “There is a range of mechanisms in place in Bristol that at present means we’ve had nobody with a dire shortage of PPE.
“We anticipate that for the time being the present supply will be sufficient.”
A soldier from A Coy 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh putting on and adjusting his face mask as part of his training in supporting new NHS Nightingale hospitals. Photo courtesy of NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol
A report to members said 6,000 people received local authority-funded social care services, of which 4,000 were supported in their own homes.
It said: “We are working closely with all external care providers to monitor the impact on their services and to ensure their business continuity plans are robust.
“The shortage of PPE is a major national issue and Bristol is affected in a similar way to many areas.
“At the time of writing, this has not resulted in a critical shortage or unavailability in specific settings, but it remains an issue requiring daily management and national escalation.”
The council has earmarked £9.3m to adult social care from the £13.5m allocated to it by the Government to tackle the coronavirus emergency.
Main photo of the BRI by Martin Booth
Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
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