Mr. Martin Varley:

As mentioned by Professor Alan Irvine earlier, we have to optimise the use of our capacities across all aspects of our healthcare delivery. We are in a very challenging environment and we should do so.

It is very important that we advance the 1,600 or so intermediary care beds so that we can streamline the stepdown care for patients coming from public hospitals. Otherwise, many beds in public hospitals will not be available to provide scheduled and unscheduled care to patients. There are 12,000 to 13,000 beds in our public hospitals and 2,000 beds in our private hospitals. The bigger opportunity is in our public hospitals and in putting in place additional capacity for public care. Our members on the ground, in public and private hospitals, have demonstrated much agility and innovation during this crisis.

They brought things in very quickly. They are more than happy to engage, as we go into the winter, to avoid problems that would otherwise arise.