To ask the Minister of Health what COVID-19 treatment-related improvements have been made to hospital intensive care units since March 2020, in terms of procedure, staffing and medical equipment procurement and provision.

The Critical Care Network NI (CCANNI) has worked collaboratively with HSC Trusts to identify the necessary resources to meet the increased demand for critical care services as a result of COVID-19. This has included estimating and procuring the necessary infrastructure, staffing and equipment and was achieved through the development of COVID-19 specific Surge Plans.

A number of procedures have been introduced to help manage the increase in ICU patients, including the sharing of regional situation reports and the development of a regional dashboard to help collate and share regional data to provide oversight and help manage pressures.

A total of over £9 million has been invested in equipment, with allocation and commissioning into receiving Trusts enabling immediate use to respond to additional demand that has presented, for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 critical care patients.

Significant redeployment and training of staff from across HSC has been undertaken to ensure the requirements of those most in need of critical care are met; however, the availability of staff has been one for the biggest challenges for HSC and has had a significant impact on other services.