Admissions in England keep rising

COVID-19 hospital admissions in England have risen to their highest level since January while the number of NHS hospital staff absent due to the virus nearly doubled in a month, new figures show.

The latest data from NHS England, published yesterday, show there were 2,370 Covid-19 hospital admissions in England on December 29, up 90% week-on-week and the highest number since January 29.

But it is still well below the second wave peak of 4,134 admissions on January 12, despite more record case numbers being reported.

Government figures show a further 189,846 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases had been recorded in the UK as of 9am on Friday, another new record for daily reported cases.

It comes after new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed an estimated 2.3 million people in the

UK had Covid-19 in the week ending December 23. This is up from 1.4 million in the week to December 16 and the highest number since comparable figures began in autumn 2020.

Meanwhile, separate NHS England data showed 24,632 staff at NHS hospital trusts were ill with coronavirus or having to self-isolate on Boxing Day, up 31% from 18,829 a week earlier and nearly double the 12,508 at the start of the month.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the NHS is facing a “perfect storm” of rising Covid hospital admissions and illness alongside increasing numbers of frontline workers being off sick.

“The NHS is putting in plans to step up once again for patients with the new Nightingale surge hubs, extra support from community services and virtual wards, but there is no doubt the whole system is running hot,” he said.