Dorset County Hospital warns of possible bed shortages as COVID-19 cases rise
Around 6% of beds at Dorset County Hospital are occupied by patients with COVID-19
Dorset County Hospital bosses are warning they could see a bed shortage this winter as cases COVID-19 cases continue to surge in Dorset.
COVID-19 cases in the county are much higher than they were in January.
The latest figures show there have been 605 positive cases per 100,000 people living in Dorset.
Around 23 people are currently being treated for COVID-19 at Dorset County Hospital, that makes up approximately 6% of all beds there.
The latest figures will be released later on today.
Chief Medical Officer, Alastair Hutchison told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"Winter is a concern to us because we just don't know whether demand for Emergency Services wil lcontinue to rise through the rest of the Autumn and into the Winter as it has done in previous years.
"All across the country, we're already experiencing the sort of level of demand in terms of hospital admissions for really unwell patients that we would normally expect in the peak of Winter.
"So the question is, will it get worse? And at the moment, nobody really knows."
He says COVID-19 admissions are contributing in a small, but significant way because of the demand for beds elsewhere around the hospital.
NHS Trusts usually experience a surge in demand during the winter as seasonal flu returns, and some conditions like asthma are worsened in the cold weather.
COVID-19 hospitalisations inevitably reduce the hospital's capacity to care for someone affected by one of these things.
Mr Hutchison added:
"I think Influenza this year is much more of a concern because we usually expect Influenza to begin to happen around about now, usually reaching a peak in about January and February.
"So, there is still a significant risk that we may see a lot of influenza because people are mixing together, they're seeing friends and relatives, and so there's a much greater opportunity for Influenza to spread."
He's encouraging anyone eligible to get both their flu and COVID booster jabs. He's also encouraging people to wear masks not just to stop the spread of COVID-19, but flu as well.