Critical care contingency planning guidance from the UK Department of Health places an expectation on providers to expand their level 3 bed capacity by a factor of 3 but no more. Provision of full multiorgan level 3 support is recognised to be unrealistic, but principally respiratory support is felt to be achievable. Cancellation of elective surgery to minimise alternative sources of demand for critical care, upgrading level 2 to level 3 facilities and recruitment of theatre recovery areas and even operating theatres may allow expansion of ICU-like care capacity. Staff in these areas already have the competencies to manage sedated patients and those receiving respiratory support. Escalating their clinical role should require relatively limited focussed training [22] . Other staff may need to be redeployed and receive training in the management of critical care patients to support fully trained staff, permitting a dilution of the standard critical care nurse to patient ratio [23] . Flexibility around dependency level and staff experience will be required [24] . The expansion of ICU capacity to provide critical care in other areas will require the pre-emptive identification, tracing and maintenance of all usable equipment and potentially the stockpiling of key items to allow for rapid up-scaling of activity in response to demand.