Strengthening the Health Systems Response to COVID-19 - Technical Guidance #2, 6 April 2020 (produced by WHO/Europe)

Creating surge capacity for acute and intensive care Recommendations for the WHO European Region

This document is for decision makers, policy makers and national or regional health authorities tasked with creating surge capacity in acute and intensive care to treat COVID-19 patients while maintaining essential hospital services. More specifically, it organises guidance around the four components of surge capacity: space, staff, supplies and systems, and stresses the need for a comprehensive approach which links the four together. As such, the document will also be of use to hospital managers and other planners taking decisions on how to ensure:

• the facilities to treat different patients, both Covid-19 and not;
• sufficient numbers of appropriately skilled and supervised health workers, while looking after their safety;
• an adequate supply of specific equipment, both for patient care and health worker safety;
• an optimum coordination of planning and decision-making to enable good surge capacity and response.