Northwick Park Hospital is in desperate need of more intensive care beds, a local MP has warned.
The A&E department in Harrow is one of London’s busiest and is regularly experiencing a near total take-up of available beds.
According to Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas, the intensive therapy unit (ITU) has regularly averaged as high as 99 per cent of its bed occupancy.
The Labour MP said the unit “is in serious need” of ten extra beds in order to meet the current demand on the service, with a further five required in the next ten years to account for population growth.
A petition has been launched to fund the additional beds for the hospital, which is run by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust.
He added: “This would also allow our local trust to use existing space to increase its general and acute bed base."
Northwick Park Hospital regularly receives the highest numbers of blue-light ambulances in London, which places enormous pressure on critical care units.
Mr Thomas said: “Emergency care is the most significant driver of critical care demand in Harrow and Brent.”
Hundreds have now signed my petition calling on the Health Sec to fund more Intensive Care beds at Northwick Park. The hospital regularly averages 99% of its bed occupancy & it is in urgent need of beds to meet current pressures. Sign my petition & share👇 https://t.co/6PbSW5BiMT
— Gareth Thomas MP (@GarethThomasMP) January 31, 2023
During an intervention in the House of Commons, he said: “One of the ways to improve retention and recruitment of NHS staff at Northwick Park Hospital, which serves my constituency, […] would be to invest in doubling the number of Intensive Care beds there."
He then asked the Health Secretary Steve Barclay, who visited the hospital earlier this month, whether he discussed the issue with Northwick Park’s chief executive and when he would announce funding for a new 60-bed unit.
Mr Barclay said: “He’s right to highlight the importance of bed capacity at Northwick Park but in terms of the discussions I had with the chief executive it was more in the context of step down capacity in terms of how that will relieve pressure on A&E.”
He added: “But if there’s specific issues in terms of intensive care then I am very happy to follow that up with him.”
A spokesperson for London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust said: “During the recent visit, CEO Pippa Nightingale spoke to the Secretary of State for Health, Stephen Barclay, about our ambitious plans to expand and modernise critical care at Northwick Park Hospital.
“Our A&E at Northwick Park Hospital is one of the busiest in London, which can lead to high levels of bed occupancy: up to 99% on general wards and 95% on critical care. However, our highly trained teams remain on-hand to provide specialist care and support for our patients.
“Over winter, we opened more beds across our hospitals to care for more patients, and we continue to work with our community and social care partners to make sure people can go home safely when they’re ready."
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