‘Retention of the current workforce and the next generation is vital’

A new independent sector surge capacity deal has been struck by the NHS should health services become overrun by the Omicron variant.

The three-month deal is with 10 independent providers whose staff and facilities have been put on "standby" should Omicron lead to "unsustainable levels of hospitalisations or staff absences", according to NHS England.

The surge capacity element of the deal will be triggered only if the number of Covid-19 patients needing treatment threaten to debilitate the NHS from providing urgent care. In this event, routine services at independent sector sites will cease and staff and facilities will be turned over for NHS use.

The NHS has already been making extensive use of capacity in the independent sector as part of a national and ongoing deal agreed in the early stages of the pandemic.

The new pact will allow the NHS to send a wider range of non-Covid-19 patients for treatment at independent sector sites during the next three months, such as those requiring forms of cancer surgery.

Coming into effect today, the new deal will run until the end of March, after which time pre-agreed arrangements on the independent sector’s capacity usage will resume.

It has been proposed by the secretary of state, following staff shortages, increasing hospitalisation figures and the creation of Nightingale hubs – temporary units at hospital grounds set up to help provide 4,000 ‘super surge’ beds.

Alongside the hubs, hospitals have also been asked to point out where there’s space, such as gyms and learning areas, to set up more wards on top of usual capacity levels.

“The arrangements will also provide the NHS with additional targeted support in the event that local NHS pressures are deemed as unsustainable"

NHS England chief operating officer and Covid-19 incident director, Sir David Sloman, described the surge element of the deal as a buffer should health services become incapacitated.

He said that considering the “greater pressure on hospitals now and over the coming weeks” what this deal means is that “as many people as possible can continue to get the care they need”.

Sir David added: “Just like the Nightingale hubs being created across the country, we hope never to need their support, but it will be there if needed."

David Hare, chief executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, said independent sector providers had played a “key role in providing vital NHS care” during the pandemic.

In response the new deal announcement, Mr Hare said it would “help to bolster planned NHS care including cancer treatment this winter whilst ensuring that independent sector providers can continue to treat private patients".

On the surge element of the deal, he said: “The arrangements will also provide the NHS with additional targeted support in the event that local NHS pressures are deemed as unsustainable."

Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said: “This agreement demonstrates the collaboration across our health care services to create an additional safeguard that ensures people can continue to get the care they need from our world-leading NHS, whenever they need it."

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