The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
No coronavirus spike in city says trust after ‘error in data’ found
Patients quickly contacted and reassured following mistake in transmission of results
Peterborough residents have been assured there has not been a major outbreak of COVID-19 in Peterborough after a data error saw 60 new positive cases reported in one day in the city - before the statistics were corrected.
The 60 positive cases were reported by Public Health England on Tuesday last week - when in the previous seven days there had been just 12 positive cases in Peterborough.
On Wednesday, the overall figure was adjusted, removing 58 of the positive tests.
Dr Kanchan Rege, medical director at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford Hospitals, said: “We have identified an error in the transmission of data between our pathology laboratory and the national results system, which recorded a batch of patient results being highlighted as positive for COVID-19, when they were in fact negative.
“The incorrect results were quickly identified and the data amended. The results were correctly reported to the patients involved in this issue, and the clinicians treating them. As a result, we can confirm there is no spike in positive COVID-19 data in our local area.
“We would like to reassure our patients that we pride ourselves on providing the best care and we are conducting a thorough investigation along with Public Health England who are also examining their own computer systems to understand how the error occurred and to ensure that there are no wider implications for other laboratories.”
Dean Ironmonger, from Public Health England’s (PHE) National Infection Service, said: “PHE noticed a data reporting error and has been working with the hospital to help put measures in place to prevent this happening again. The figures have been adjusted to reflect the correct numbers for Peterborough on the COVID dashboard. The incorrect figures have not affected the weekly infographic or surveillance report.
“We will carry out an audit of small number of hospital laboratories across the country that use a similar manual reporting process for COVID-19 test results so that the same situation does not occur.”
New data shows there have been more deaths linked to coronavirus in Bretton than any other area of Peterborough, official figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal.
Between March 1 and May 31 there were 14 coronavirus related deaths in the Bretton Park area of the city.
The area with the second highest number was Longthorpe and Netherton, with eight deaths.
Werrington, Paston, Wittering, Barnack and Wansford all recorded no coronavirus deaths.
Of the 382 deaths recorded in the city during the three months, 86 were connected to coronavirus - around 23 per cent.
Data released from the Office of National Statistics outlined the coronavirus related deaths across Peterborough between March 1 and May 31. Figures in brackets are total number of deaths from all causes. Millfield & Bourges Blvd: 4 (8) Bretton Park 14 (28) Fengate & Parnwell 7 (21) West Town & Woodston 7 (29) Longthorpe & Netherton 8 (35) Central Park 7 (33) Peterborough Central 7 (35) Hampton Vale 4 (22) Newborough & Peakirk 3 (17) Orton West & Castor 3 (17) Stanground 5 (29) Orton Malb’ne & Goldhay 2 (12) N’th Bretton & Westwood 1 (7) Hargate & Orton L’ville 5 (36) Eye & Thorney 4 (29) Walton 2 (23) Fletton 1 (19) Dogsthorpe 1 (21) Glinton, Northborough
& Maxey Werrington
Barnack, Wittering & Wansford
Paston 1 (22) 0 (7)
0 (3) 0 (15)