‘Concerned’ intensive care doctors warn Australia faces surge demand in coming months

Survey of specialists forms part of Brendan Murphy's brief to national cabinet on the ability of the health system to cope with rising Covid cases

Intensive care doctors have warned that Australia's health system could face months of surge demand that will strain the workforce as a result of the Delta outbreak, as they stress the need for an increase in Covid vaccination rates to ease the burden on hospitals.

The federal health secretary, Brendan Murphy, will update Friday's meeting of national cabinet about the hospital system's ability to cope, informed by a survey from the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (Anzics), after the Australian Medical Association warned that the system was already struggling.