Covid hospitalisations in Yorkshire TRIPLE over Christmas

The latest data has been released by the government

Dr McMahon expressed his condolences to people who lost loved ones during the pandemic
Author: Liam Arrowsmith and PA ReportersPublished 6th Jan 2022
Last updated 6th Jan 2022

The number of patients being admitted to hospital with coronavirus in Yorkshire and the North East tripled over Christmas, according to the latest data.

The Government's dashboard shows 144 patients were admitted on Christmas Eve.

But by January 3rd it had risen to 374.

It's as the number of people in hospital with coronavirus hits its highest since February last year amid increasing pressure on health services.

Admissions "doubling every nine days"

Hospital admissions in Yorkshire and the North East over Christmas

A total of 17,276 people were in hospital in the UK with Covid-19 as of January 4, Government figures show, up 58% week-on-week and the highest number since February 19.

Boris Johnson has said the country is seeing its fastest growth in cases, as more than 20 NHS trusts declared a critical incident.

During the second wave of coronavirus, the numbers in hospital peaked at 39,254 on January 18 2021.

There were 2,258 Covid-19 hospital admissions on December 28, the latest UK-wide figure available, up 83% week on week and the highest number since February 3.

Admissions during the second wave peaked at 4,583 on January 12 2021.

In the Commons on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said hospital admissions were "doubling around every nine days" and the country was "experiencing the fastest growth in Covid cases we've ever known".

No 10 said more than 20 trusts had now reached the alert level where priority services may be under threat, but stressed it was "not a good indicator" of the pressures the health service was under.

Plans to tackle NHS could be "derailed"

The "catastrophic impact" of the Covid pandemic on patients waiting for NHS treatment is clear, but plans to tackle it could be derailed by emergency care demands and a lack of staff, MPs have said.

The record number of people on the waiting list for planned care in England - almost six million - is likely to grow but, at the same time, the NHS is also dealing with a record number of 999 calls and long waits to be seen in A&E.

In its new report, the cross-party Health and Social Care Committee said that tackling the wider backlog caused by the pandemic is a major and "unquantifiable" challenge as it includes all the people who have yet to come forward for care.

It calls for a broad national health and care recovery plan embracing emergency care, mental health, GPs, community care and social care.

MPs said NHS staff are under pressure and could quit unless they see "light at the end of the tunnel" in the form of more staff to help them deal with the pressures on the health service.

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