Coronavirus: London hospitals two weeks from being ‘overwhelmed’
Capital could have a shortfall of more than 5,000 intensive care beds in a fortnight

Hospitals in London will have to start turning away patients in less than two weeks under even the most optimistic Covid scenario, according to NHS England’s medical director for the city.
The alarming assessment was delivered during a Zoom briefing given by Dr Vin Diwakar to the city’s most senior doctors yesterday afternoon, the Health Service Journal reports.
Diwakar warned that even if the number of Covid patients grew at the slowest rate considered likely, and measures to manage demand and increase capacity were a success, NHS hospitals in the capital would be short of nearly 2,000 general, acute and intensive care beds by 19 January.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, under worse scenarios, the shortfall could be as high as 5,422 beds by the same date.
The Health Service Journal says options that have been “floated” to address the shortfall include “very significantly” reducing the number of non-Covid patients by cancelling elective treatment and sending those patients to other regions or private providers, in the capital or beyond.
However, with the more highly transmissible new variant of the coronavirus spreading across the country, available beds in other parts of England are also running out.
“Major problems” have emerged in London, The Guardian says, with video footage showing a large number of ambulances queuing outside Queen’s hospital in Romford, and the Royal London hospital telling staff it’s going into “disaster medicine” mode.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Sun adds that news of the capital’s “ticking time bomb” comes as police are preparing to send specialist teams, including paramedics and fire staff, to remove bodies of people who die of Covid at home.
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
15 dank Gen Z dating phrases
In Depth Knowing these neologisms can help anyone navigate the extremely online world of youth romance culture
-
What will William be like as king?
Today's Big Question Prince of Wales said he won’t be ‘restricted’ by history when he takes the throne
-
Quiz of The Week: 27 September – 3 October
Quiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the rise
The Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shot
Speed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
How the care industry came to rely on migrant workers
The Explainer Government crackdown on recruiting workers abroad risks deepening care sector crisis, industry leaders warn
-
Could medics' misgivings spell the end of the assisted dying bill?
Today's Big Question The Royal College of Psychiatrists has identified 'serious concerns' with the landmark bill – and MPs are taking notice
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
Washwood Heath: Birmingham's pioneering neighbourhood health service
In the Spotlight NHS England chair says there is a 'really good argument this is the model for the future'