New record in hospital admissions
THE number of patients treated in North East hospitals for Covid-19 this winter has soared past the previous peak period in April.
And we can reveal that while experts are talking about the NHS facing up to the eye of the storm today as it awaits a surge in patients across the UK, in November the numbers of hospital beds taken by Covid patients in the North East topped the previous unwanted record rate.
In that month, the total hospital beds occupied exceeded the respective figure in April in every North East hospital trust bar one.
This month, the latest available figures for individual trusts dated up to December 22 reveal that the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust had more Covid patients in a day (212 on December 21) than the highest figure in April (211 on April 9).
The highest daily number for County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust was 139 patients (December 21 and 22) compared to 129 on April 12.
Figures for Gateshead, Newcastle and Northumbria NHS trusts have now fallen back to lower than for the April high. But that could very soon change.
Experts are saying that national coronavirus restrictions are needed to prevent a “catastrophe” amid rising infections which could swamp the NHS.
Tighter measures are required to tackle the new variant of the virus, which is the main reason for the increase in cases, said Professor
Andrew Hayward, of the Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag).
The reopening of schools would see the need for “increased, strict restrictions” in other areas of society “to pay for that”, he added.
It was NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens who warned that doctors and nurses are “back in the eye of the storm”.
Figures from NHS England show there were 20,426 patients in NHS hospitals in England as of 8am on Monday, compared with the 18,974 patients recorded on April 12.
This is based on regional figures to December 26 which sees the North East grouped with Yorkshire. On April 12 this figure was 2,541. The number now is actually down to 2,437.
Sir Simon said: “Many of us have lost family, friends, colleagues and – at a time of year when we would normally be celebrating – a lot of people are understandably feeling anxious, frustrated and tired.
“And now, again, we are back in the eye of the storm with a second wave of coronavirus sweeping Europe and, indeed, this country.”
Prof Hayward, professor of infectious diseases epidemiology at University College London, said widespread Tier 4 restrictions – or even higher – are likely to be needed as the country moves towards “near-lockdown”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think we are entering a very dangerous new phase of the pandemic and we’re going to need decisive, early, national action to prevent a catastrophe in January and February.”