King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is at high occupancy but there is no bed shortage, according to a Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman.

Plans have been put in place specifically for the America’s Cup and preparations have also been made for an emergency field station in the case of a mass casualty.

It comes after concerns were raised following BHB CEO Venetta Symonds’s announcement in March that availability of beds stood at “crisis” level, with every single bed in the hospital’s emergency department and the new acute care wing filled.

Patients were placed on the maternity and children’s wards and 12 surgeries had to be postponed in March, with the Bermuda Healthcare Advocacy Group expressing its dismay over the impact on patients.

However, the BHB spokeswoman said yesterday: “King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is currently at high occupancy. There is not a bed shortage.”

And asked about plans to deal with increased demand during the America’s Cup, she said: “Bermuda Hospitals Board is a member of the disaster committee for America’s Cup.

“We have developed a comprehensive detailed response plan specifically for this event. The document was carefully created in collaboration with all the relevant bodies and agencies.”

She said BHB’s mission is to provide safe, high-quality care, adding: “No matter what the injury is, the public can be assured every decision made will provide our patients the ability to undergo treatment, heal and recuperate, safely.”

She also explained that the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre will stick to normal working hours of 4pm to midnight, Monday to Friday, and noon to midnight on Saturday and Sunday during the America’s Cup.

“Bermuda Hospitals Board is prepared to operate an Advanced Medical Post (emergency field station) in the case of a mass casualty,” she added.

She noted that all first responders “meet regularly and take part in training exercises and simulations to test our readiness for mass casualties including a terrorist attack”.

“Bermuda Hospitals Board has taken the lead in providing mass casualty training every year since 2000 and includes Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, Police, Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Red Cross and Royal St John Ambulance.

The last training course took place in April 2017. This is a comprehensive six-day course of the Pan American Health Organisation and in addition to local certified facilitators, a trainer from Paho also is on hand.”