Hospitals in Greater Manchester have reportedly requested military help after demand surpassed last year’s Covid peak.
Coronavirus admissions in London appear to be plateauing, but the Omicron wave is now hitting other parts of the country.
Health bosses are in discussions with military officials as nearly 130,000 new cases are reported and virus-related deaths hit an 11-month high today.
The pressure is mainly on general beds which are more than 90% full, while some non-urgent surgery was already been halted last week.
Staff require assistance with jobs like cleaning, porter work and admin as up to 15% of staff isolate at home, Manchester Evening News reports.
Soldiers could also be asked to help with basic care including hydration and nutrition for those in ‘super surge’ beds in mini-Nightingale-style facilities.
Greater Manchester has not followed dozens of other NHS trusts in declaring a ‘critical incident’, with suggestions bosses ‘want to avoid intense national NHS scrutiny’.
Chris Brookes, acute lead for Greater Manchester and an A&E consultant at Salford Royal, said: ‘The word I’d use is uncomfortable. When bed occupancy is in the low to mid 90%, that is an uncomfortable place.’
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