Doctors warn of fewer ICU beds than before pandemic

Ventilators are not the problem, nurses to staff them is, according to a survey by ICU doctors
Associate Professor Edward Litton.

Intensivists are warning the nation has 195 fewer ICU beds staffed and ready to go than it did at the beginning of the pandemic, leaving some areas “vulnerable” should COVID-19 cases surge.

A survey of all ICU departments has found although there are plenty of ventilators available, staffing constraints limit the country’s surge capacity.