MORE than 100 hospital beds will be created in Powys as the county gears up for a potential increase in coronavirus cases.

Hospitals in Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells and Brecon have been specifically earmarked for more beds, while care facilities in Bronllys, Builth Wells, Knighton, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Newtown and Ystradgynlais will also receive extra beds.

In an update, Powys Teaching Health Board's chief executive Carol Shillabeer has outlined the measures being taken to 'ramp up' facilities and increase the number of beds available in the county as the pandemic escalates.

The 11 page document issues reminders about how to keep the public safe through social distancing and staying home, but also what contingency plans are in place to deal with the challenges of an increase in cases of people needing treatment.

Ms Shillabeer said: "This outlines how we are strengthening our primary and community care services to enable more people to stay at home or close to home, and how we are working with neighbouring hospitals to make sure that you continue to have rapid access to the acute and specialist care that you need.

"Critical life-saving care for coronavirus needs the full wraparound of specialist equipment and specialist skills provided in acute hospitals, rather than in remote and rural areas like Powys. That is why we are working hard to provide a higher level of care in the county than we are normally able to provide, but also to ensure that all our neighbouring hospitals are able to meet the needs of the people of Powys."

Contingencies are also in place to cover workforce gaps when staff are unwell or shielding.

The plans include:

• Increasing beds, and the skills and services (including the provision of oxygen for some coronavirus patients although this will not include non-invasive ventilation or invasive ventilation) in Breconshire War Memorial Hospital, Llandrindod Wells Memorial Hospital and Victoria Memorial Hospital, Welshpool.

This will enable care for more patients in the county with coronavirus – reducing the need for them to be admitted to acute hospital, and bringing them closer to home when they are more stable and no longer need acute hospital care. Community hospitals and health care centres in Bronllys, Builth Wells, Knighton, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Newtown and Ystradgynlais will also be 'refocused' to provide an enhanced level of in-county community hospital care for those who need it.

This will also include increasing the number of beds, as well as ensuring the continuation of dignified palliative support and end of life care.

• Working in partnership with patients, carers, families, nursing homes, residential homes, Powys County Council, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations and wider partners in the third sector, local communities, private and independent sector and local businesses to provide as much care as possible in the most appropriate setting.

This will include creating around 100 additional beds within hospitals and health and care facilities – effectively a 'virtual' field hospital across the county that makes use of existing facilities, working with partners to make best use of the skills and assets across the county.

It also includes increasing the scope of practice so that a higher level of care is provided within the county than would normally be possible.

The health board will also continue to develop plans so that extra local capacity can be put in place if the need for health and care support has peaks that cannot be accommodated within the plans outlined above.