The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic causes a large number of patients to simultaneously be in need of specialized care. In the Netherlands, hospitals scaled up their intensive care unit and clinical admission capacity at an early stage of the pandemic. The importance of coordinating resources during a pandemic has already been emphasized in the literature. Therefore, in order to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by COVID-19 admissions, national and regional task forces were established for the purpose of coordinating patient transfers. This review describes the experience of Regionaal Overleg Acute Zorg (ROAZ) region Noord-Holland Flevoland, in coordinating patient transfers in the Amsterdam region. In total, 130 patient transfers were coordinated by our region, of which 73% patients were transferred to a hospital within the region. Over a 2-month period, similarities regarding days with increased patient transfers were seen between our region and the national task force. In parallel, an increased incidence in hospital admissions in the Netherlands was observed. During a pandemic, an early upscale (an increase in surge spaces) of hospital admission capacity is imperative. Furthermore, it is preferred to establish national and regional task forces, coordinated by physicians experienced and trained in handling crisis situations, adhering full transparency regarding hospital admission capacity.
Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus disease; hospital admission capacity; pandemic.