‘Nail biting’ scenario if oxygen runs low

HOSPITAL staff have been told to prepare to ventilate patients manually if oxygen runs out.

It came as health chiefs warned of ‘nailbitingly difficult’ weeks ahead and said NHS staff are at ‘battle stations’ across the country. Admissions are soaring as Covid-19 rates continue to rise.

Nearly 23,000 beds in England were occupied by coronavirus patients on New Year’s Eve – far higher than the 19,000 occupied at the peak of the first wave in April.

Yesterday 613 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported across the UK, bringing the total toll to 74,125. There were also 53,285 new cases. Several hospitals have warned in recent days that the surge in admissions is placing oxygen supplies under pressure.

Staff at one major London hospital have been told to prepare for an ‘oxygen supply failure’ in which they could be forced to manually ventilate patients using an ‘ambu bag’ – a hand pumped plastic sphere which pushes air into the lungs.

A note circulated to staff on Thursday said: ‘There is a very high demand for medical oxygen across the healthcare system at the moment. All hospitals are closely monitoring their use to ensure that piped oxygen supplies are safely monitored.’

In a stark warning, it added: ‘You need to know what to do in the event of oxygen supply failure. Disconnect tubing from patient. Connect inflating bag to oxygen bottle. If no oxygen bottles, don’t panic, just inflate with ambu bag. Manually ventilate – 12 breaths per minute.’

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said admissions will continue to rise over the next fortnight.

‘The next few weeks are going to be nailbitingly difficult for the NHS,’ she told BBC Breakfast. Referring to Thursday’s figures, she said: ‘ We’ve nearly got 1,000 deaths today, and that is where we were in April. That is incredibly hard to deal with and this new variant of coronavirus also spreads much more quickly.’

Dr Adrian Boyle, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said NHS staff were ‘tired, frustrated and fedup’. He told BBC Breakfast: ‘What is it going to be like over the next couple of months? I don’t know, I am worried. We are very much at battle stations.’

NHS England last night insisted it has enough oxygen supplies to meet current demand and is working with suppliers to manage future needs.