HL Deb 20 May 2003 vol 648 cc72-3WA
Lord Jopling

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many life support ventilators are currently available for operation in each of the private and public sectors; how many trained staff are estimated to be available to operate them; what estimated percentage of severe acute respiratory syndrome sufferers need to be put on ventilators; and how many beds are estimated to exist in United Kingdom hospitals which would be suitable for patients with SARS where suitable isolation could be provided. [HL2772]

Baroness Andrews:

The Department of Health does not collect information about the number of life support ventilators available for operation in each of the public and private sectors. There are currently 3,097 adult critical care beds in the National Health Service in England. As a minimum standard there will be one mechanical ventilator for each bed area. Each critical care unit will have additional ventilators available to be used in rotation for cleaning, decontamination, and maintenance purposes.

Trusts have contracts for purchasing and maintenance of ventilators with their preferred manufacturers.it is likely that additional ventilators could be made available quickly should a trust require additional equipment in the case of a sudden influx of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) needing respiratory support.

Nurses working in critical care units are trained to look after patients needing mechanical ventilation. Generally, patients requiring mechanical ventilation require one to one care and supervision. Critical care units normally operate with an overall establishment of 6.0—7.0 whole-time equivalent nurses per bed. There will be local variations in staffing levels depending on the size of the unit and case-mix.

None of the four probable SARS cases reported so far in the United Kingdom has required ventilation. The number estimated to require ventilation would depend on a number of factors such as the length of time the patient had been ill, along with any other secondary illness. Patients admitted to hospital with suspected or confirmed SARS will be transferred to a cubicle in the critical care unit, and isolation procedures will be put in place.

The Department of Health does not collect information on the number of cubicles or isolation facilities available. This information will be available to local major incident planners.