The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Hospital District (ISLHD) has released information on its plans for meeting increased projected demand for intensive care and COVID ward capacity in the coming months.

A peak in hospital bed and ICU utilisation across NSW is anticipated by late October/early November, with between 2,200 and 3,900 people likely to need hospitalisation, based on demand modelling outlined by the NSW Government.

“Like every Local Health District in NSW, we are further escalating our well established COVID plans in line with the stepped approach to increasing capacity across the entire NSW Health system,” said ISLHD Chief Executive Margot Mains.

“In addition to our incredibly hard-working and dedicated clinical staff, we also have teams of experts working around the clock who are continually updating, refining and escalating our COVID plans.

“Staff are undertaking additional training, they are redeploying to areas of greatest need within our service, and we are all continually developing innovations and enhancements to keep our community, and our staff, safe during this challenging time.

“We are in this together, and we will get through this together.”

The Illawarra’s COVID treatment is being centred at Wollongong Hospital, where the COVID Intensive Care Unit is currently working at 75% of its level one capacity.

This includes patients transferred from other LHDs, requiring higher level care. Bed capacity continues to be routinely allocated for local COVID patients, should the need arise.

A second COVID ICU is not required at this stage, however, an area dedicated for ICU two is ready and can be stood up to open within 12 hours if needed.

This will be located within the hospital’s existing Day Surgery area, which has been enabled by the postponement of some non-urgent elective surgery at Wollongong Hospital

“Once ICU two is established, our capacity will increase to around 30 beds with the possibility of 40. Of course, we are also working through the logistics of what additional expansion of ICU capacity at Wollongong may be possible, should the need arise,” said Ms Mains.

In addition, Wollongong Hospital has dedicated COVID Ward areas that are currently working at around 30% of their capacity, including housing patients transferred from other health districts.

“Wollongong’s capacity to care for COVID patients in a dedicated ward will increase to 74 beds over the next three weeks, by utilising the space that previously housed the COVID vaccination clinic,” said Ms Mains.

This has been enabled by the clinic’s relocation to the Mass Vaccination Centre in Wollongong CBD.

Shoalhaven Hospital is also looking at increasing its capacity with a dedicated COVID ICU and Ward, including the establishment of a Medical Respiratory COVID Ward. At this stage, it is not expected that Shellharbour Hospital will have any COVID specific wards.

For patients not requiring hospitalisation, capacity is being increased in the District’s Virtual Community Care Centre.

“They are the teams looking after COVID positive patients in their own homes,” said Ms Mains.

“The ISLHD team is managing local cases as well as patients from other LHDS, with a current capacity of 150. We are training additional staff to take our local virtual care capacity to at least 350, and beyond if required, in the weeks ahead.”