Number of Covid-positive patients in English hospitals hits 10,000

The number of Covid-positive patients in English NHS hospitals has hit more than 10,000 for the first time since mid-February, as admissions continue to increase and pressures on emergency services worsen.

On Monday the NHS recorded 10,576 patients in its hospital beds, as figures rose by 18 per cent week on week.

The number of new admissions of patients with Covid-19 to English hospitals hit 1,368 on Saturday, a slight decrease on new admissions in the days prior.

GPs across the country have also reported increased Covid-linked demand as practices indicate they have seen an uptick in patients with symptoms.

Lis Galloway, a GP from Surrey, told The Independent her practice had seen a “significant jump” in positive Covid tests for patients, with around 50 to 60 reported over the weekend when the practice would usually get between 10 and 20.

Dr Galloway said there was a “large rise in people making contact for symptom advice after doing their own lateral flows, too”, adding: “So far those causing clinical concern represent a small percentage, but we’ve given out a couple of home oxygen probes today for monitoring at home, and will be following them up daily. Cases seem to be in people in middle age, more than school age at the moment.”

She said the network of practices locally had also seen a “swing upwards again”.

According to data from NHS Digital published on Sunday, 17,022 people were assessed by NHS 111 for Covid-19 symptoms in the week up to 13 March, an increase of 3,608 on the previous week. Online assessments for Covid increased by 2,475 up to 11,316 during the same period.

The news comes as ministers are expected to announce an end to passenger locator forms, making foreign travel easier as coronavirus cases rise.

The PA news agency has been told that ministers met on Monday to agree to scrap the requirement by the end of the week.

They are also expected to axe the need for unvaccinated passengers to be tested before entering the UK under the government’s plans for “living with Covid”.

According to a report by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, published on Monday, the number of operations cancelled across 18 NHS hospitals increased in the first week of March compared to the last week in February, from 1,683 to 1,549.

Meanwhile A&Es continued to face pressure, with the number of attendances higher than they have been for three months at 72,334 in the first week of March.

The report added: “Demand at emergency departments is likely to continue increasing in the coming weeks. February saw 43,000 attendances per day at type-1 EDs in England, compared with 40,200 per day in January. There were also close to 12,000 admissions per day, up from roughly 11,600.”

In a statement today, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust declared a new “critical incident” due to pressure on its services.

It said: “Our hospitals continue to experience intense pressure due to the exceptionally high levels of demand for the services that we provide, as well as the ongoing impacts from Covid-19. There are also ongoing issues with regards to discharging medically fit patients.

“Despite us taking every available option to free up capacity and create additional space, we need to ensure we can continue to prioritise our services and so we have declared a new critical incident. This means that we are pausing a very limited number of non-urgent services to allow us to meet the most urgent needs of those we care for.”

Responding to the rise in Covid-positive patients in hospitals in England, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said: “Trust leaders will keep a close eye on rising Covid admissions into hospitals after weeks of falling numbers.

“While it is positive that the overall number in hospital remains low compared to previous waves, rising admissions can have knock-on effects for patient care. For example, separating Covid-positive patients to prevent others getting infected does mean fewer beds are available. This can impact upon on our ability to provide emergency and planned care.”

On Monday, The Independent reported several hospital trusts in England had loosened their visiting restrictions following national guidance, despite the growth of Covid in trusts.