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Northern Ireland’s Health Minister and Medical Director have said they do not believe they will have to ask the Republic’s hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients.
They were responding to claims that the Stormont Health Department had inquired about the possibility of patients north of the border being treated in ICU units in the south if necessary.
Health Minister Robin Swann said reports of such requests “are not something that we acknowledge.”
He added: “We have a good working relationship with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland and indeed all of these islands, but at what level are we, we are not there yet, nor will we be there.”
While several hospitals in Northern Ireland have said they are currently operating “beyond capacity”, Swann said the health service has the ability to “flex” its ICU capacity if necessary.
Northern Ireland has 106 intensive care beds, 44 occupied by coronavirus patients and 53 by non-Covid patients.
While that means that there are currently only 13 ICU beds available, the number may be increased by an additional 52 in the “surge plans” to cope with the increased demand caused by the coronavirus.
The minister’s views were shared by Medical Director, Dr. Michael McBride.
“I do not anticipate that we will exceed our capacity to increase intensive care beds in Northern Ireland,” he said.
“However, none of us will be lacking if colleagues from the Republic of Ireland need our help, or vice versa …
“They will not find us lacking and that mutual help will be provided if requested and required, but as I say, I do not anticipate that being the case.
Dr McBride said that the R-number in Northern Ireland has dropped to around 1 as a result of stricter restrictions, but cautioned that it must be much lower for those restrictions to be lifted.
He also warned that believing that Northern Ireland will return to normal at the end of the current restrictions, which are scheduled until November 13, is “misplaced.”
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