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London’s two biggest NHS trusts are planning a massive increase in critical care beds within weeks to cope with an anticipated flood of coronavirus patients, the Evening Standard can reveal.

Barts Health is aiming for an almost 10-fold increase in capacity to 1,000 mechanically ventilated beds, including 400 at the Nightingale field hospital at the ExCeL conference centre in the Docklands.

It also plans to open two floors of the Royal London hospital, in Whitechapel, that have been mothballed since the £650 million PFI-funded building was opened by the Queen seven years ago.

But its “peak operating plan” warns that predicted peak demand for beds will still exceed capacity, forcing it to also commission private hospital beds and rapidly discharge recovered Covid-19 and other patients back home within two hours.

Imperial College Healthcare, which was caring for 167 patients with Covid-19 yesterday, has already doubled its intensive care beds with ventilators at its three main sites — St Mary’s, Charing Cross and Hammersmith — from 68 to 143 in the last fortnight.

It now plans to increase that capacity to 441 within two weeks if required. Almost 100 of its staff have volunteered to work at the Nightingale field hospital.

The rush to provide more ITU beds comes as London was revealed to have about 570 patients with Covid-19 in critical care beds.

Last night the death toll in the capital’s hospitals increased by 16 to 184, including 10 deaths between Monday and Wednesday reported by Croydon hospital.

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An Essex GP, Dr Habib Zaidi, who died at Southend hospital on Wednesday, was today reported to be the first UK doctor to die after contracting the virus.

A total of 3,919 Londoners have tested positive for the virus, though this is thought to massively under-represent the true infection rate due to the lack of community testing.

Duncan Selbie, the chief executive of Public Health England, is among those with symptoms and is self-isolating at home.

Dr Simon Ashworth, clinical director for critical care at Imperial, told the Standard that he was “still very concerned” about the situation across London “but things seem a bit less terrifying”.

Yesterday Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said there was a “continuous tsunami” of coronavirus patients arriving at hospitals in the capital and warned three or four were likely to run out of critical care beds this weekend.

Dr Ashworth said: “The lockdown should damp down transmission. I do think the curve appears to be flattening.

"Growth in ICU cases seems to be more linear than geometric. Could still ramp up though.”

Barts Health, which has five east London hospitals, today revealed details of an extraordinary reorganisation of its clinical services in preparation for the pandemic peaking in London next month.

It has already increased its ventilated beds from 118 to 170 and aims to have 260 by next Tuesday. By mid-April, the target is 420, “providing we can staff and equip them”.

This would consist of more than 200 at St Bartholomew’s, in Smithfield, 150 at the Royal London, 35 at Whipps Cross, in Leytonstone, and 36 at Newham hospital.

However, the plan admits this will require a “Herculean effort” from staff to pull off.

The trust is also aiming to use the vacant 14th and 15th floors of the Royal London, which it has been previously unable to afford opening due to the PFI contract under which the hospital was built and is operated.

These floors could allow an additional 180 ITU beds to be opened, taking the total number of ventilated beds within the trust’s hospitals to 600.

The 400 it will oversee at the Nightingale field hospital, which is situated within its geographical catchment area, will bring the trust’s capacity to 1,000 beds.

St Bartholomew’s will offer cardiothoracic services for the entire capital, while major trauma and stroke services will continue to run at the Royal London. But all non-emergency operations will be cancelled.

The UK says thanks to the NHS in nationwide clap - In pictures 33 show all The UK says thanks to the NHS in nationwide clap - In pictures 1/33 Residents in a Northampton street applaud in support of the NHS in Northampton Getty Images 2/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 3/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 4/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 5/33 People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. Getty Images 6/33 Nick and Karen Giddens and their dog Macy in Leicester PA 7/33 Barbara Leigh, aged 93, (second left) rings a bell for the NHS, with her family who are all staying together throughout the lockdown, from their front garden across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Images 8/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 9/33 People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens Getty Images 10/33 The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, Reuters 11/33 People step out into the street for a period of applause in Blackpool, north-west England AFP via Getty Images 12/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 13/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 14/33 Cleveland Borough Council of Redcar Pier lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA 15/33 The Lowry lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA 16/33 A blue heart is lit up on the tower in Blackpool AFP via Getty Images 17/33 People in Woodford Green, London, join in a national applause for the NHS from their doorsteps PA 18/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 19/33 People in flats opposite the St James's University Hospital in Leeds PA 20/33 People applaud infront of big screen in Piccadilly Circus during the Clap For Our Carers Reuters 21/33 People in Wapping Wharf, Bristol, come out onto their balconies to join in a national applause for the NHS from their doorsteps, windows and balconies to show their appreciation for all NHS workers who are helping to fight the Coronavirus. PA 22/33 People pause in the street in Wapping Wharf, Bristol PA 23/33 People applaud outside their homes in Calbourne Road in Balham, London during the Clap For Our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters 24/33 Residents in a Northampton street applaud in support of the NHS in Northampton Getty Images 25/33 Grand-class cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet, docked at Southampton Docks shows its support for the NHS by lighting up rooms on the cruise ship to spell 'I LOVE NHS' Getty Images 26/33 Mia Wilson aged 12 from Long Eaton, Derbyshire joins in a national applause for the NHS PA 27/33 Wembley Arch in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA 28/33 29/33 The Town Hall is lit up by blue lights in Liverpool AFP via Getty Images 30/33 St Georges Hall and St John's Beacon is lit up by blue lights in Liverpool AFP via Getty Images 31/33 The SSE Hydro in Glasgow is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA 32/33 General view as Tyne Bridge is lit blue in support of the NHS REUTERS 33/33 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak outside 10 Downing Street PA 1/33 Residents in a Northampton street applaud in support of the NHS in Northampton Getty Images 2/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 3/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 4/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 5/33 People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. Getty Images 6/33 Nick and Karen Giddens and their dog Macy in Leicester PA 7/33 Barbara Leigh, aged 93, (second left) rings a bell for the NHS, with her family who are all staying together throughout the lockdown, from their front garden across the road from Wythenshawe Hospital Getty Images 8/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 9/33 People applaud the NHS from their balconies and gardens Getty Images 10/33 The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, Reuters 11/33 People step out into the street for a period of applause in Blackpool, north-west England AFP via Getty Images 12/33 The Royal Free in Hampstead Jeremy Selwyn 13/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 14/33 Cleveland Borough Council of Redcar Pier lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA 15/33 The Lowry lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff who are trying to battle coronavirus. PA 16/33 A blue heart is lit up on the tower in Blackpool AFP via Getty Images 17/33 People in Woodford Green, London, join in a national applause for the NHS from their doorsteps PA 18/33 Staff from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital join in a national applause for the NHS PA 19/33 People in flats opposite the St James's University Hospital in Leeds PA 20/33 People applaud infront of big screen in Piccadilly Circus during the Clap For Our Carers Reuters 21/33 People in Wapping Wharf, Bristol, come out onto their balconies to join in a national applause for the NHS from their doorsteps, windows and balconies to show their appreciation for all NHS workers who are helping to fight the Coronavirus. PA 22/33 People pause in the street in Wapping Wharf, Bristol PA 23/33 People applaud outside their homes in Calbourne Road in Balham, London during the Clap For Our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters 24/33 Residents in a Northampton street applaud in support of the NHS in Northampton Getty Images 25/33 Grand-class cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet, docked at Southampton Docks shows its support for the NHS by lighting up rooms on the cruise ship to spell 'I LOVE NHS' Getty Images 26/33 Mia Wilson aged 12 from Long Eaton, Derbyshire joins in a national applause for the NHS PA 27/33 Wembley Arch in London is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA 28/33 29/33 The Town Hall is lit up by blue lights in Liverpool AFP via Getty Images 30/33 St Georges Hall and St John's Beacon is lit up by blue lights in Liverpool AFP via Getty Images 31/33 The SSE Hydro in Glasgow is lit up in blue in a gesture of thanks to the hardworking NHS staff PA 32/33 General view as Tyne Bridge is lit blue in support of the NHS REUTERS 33/33 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak outside 10 Downing Street PA

Private and charity hospitals in east London, such as the Mildmay Aids hospital, will be asked to take non-Covid patients. Staff will be retrained and redeployed.

Barts Health also aims to start testing staff for Covid-19 “next week”.

The Blizard Institute, part of the trust’s academic partner Queen Mary University of London, began testing samples earlier this week. Alwen Williams, Barts Health group chief executive, said: “In times of crisis, our values and our pride in the services we deliver to the public come to the fore and shine through.”

Today the Health and Care Professions Council said it was “switching on” temporary registration for former health workers and final year students to enable them to help the NHS effort against coronavirus.