Medics to face pressures ‘unlike any other they have faced before’ as pandemic peaks

The British Medical Association has said while its doctors are “coping”, many feel they are unable to give care to the “standard they would want”.

It has been predicted that the peak in intensive care will happen next week.

The head of the BMA in NI, Dr Tom Black has been critical of the way this wave of the pandemic has been managed.

He said: “Staff will do their best in a very difficult situation, where many decisions in this pandemic were made too late.”

While it is expected the number of hospital admissions will peak sometime over the next eight to 10 days, the number requiring intensive care treatment is likely to continue increasing for at least another fortnight.

Dr Black said he was concerned for both patients and staff.

He said: “It is likely that over the next few weeks doctors will be asked to work in a new location or provide support to areas that are already overstretched.

“Many have already had planned annual leave cancelled.”

On Saturday, there were 30 people in Antrim Area Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting for a bed, 24 had been waiting more than 12 hours.

In Enniskillen, the South West Acute Hospital was operating at 109.4% capacity, meaning there were no additional beds or staff.

Dr Black said many have reported feeling “exhausted and demoralised” and he warned that when it came to reviewing how the pandemic was handled “this phase will stand out as one where we could have planned better”.

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