Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board is expecting the main surge of Covid-19 patients to hit in mid May.

The forecast was released as part of the minutes for a remote video meeting of the health board which took place on 15 April.

The minutes included a section on the board’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, presented by executive director of primary and community services Chris Stockpot.

The board heard there were “differing models” on when the “peak surge” would hit North Wales but there would a “higher degree of certainty and confidence” about it in the coming weeks.

The peak of the current Covid-19 outbreak is “broadly expected in mid May” although members were assured that currently BCUHB was maintaining capacity within critical care.

However, in a Welsh Government press conference today, Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, seemed to disagree when asked about there being a peak in North-West Wales between mid May and the end of the month.

He said: “That was the original assumption that the peak could move around Wales. In fact everybody went into lockdown on 23 March.

“It seems to me less likely – one should never say never – but it seems less likely that we will see a different curve now in North Wales then in South Wales.”

Elsewhere during the health board meeting there was praise for the community and local industry after it emerged “the provision of PPE continued to be a matter of concern”.

The meeting heard supplies were arriving through the national procurement framework but there had been “a pleasing level of support” from local communities and businesses.

It also emerged there are “challenges around the provision of oxygen” which would mainly affect “step down facilities” when patients were needing intermediate or transitional care.

Mr Stockport’s report also highlighted nine per cent of the board’s 18,000 staff were off work in mid April, with “the majority” due to self-isolation.

The board heard a “range of measures” had been put in place to promote and maintain staff well-being during the pandemic.

The report showed emergency department attendance had dropped by 50 per cent and around 1,000 staff had been redeployed to other roles.