How a QUARTER of hospitals are operating at Covid ‘danger zone’

How a QUARTER of hospitals are operating at Covid ‘danger zone’ with fifth of beds taken up by infected patients with figure as high as 45% in one Kent NHS site – so use our tool to find out how busy YOUR local trust is

  • At least a fifth of general and acute beds at 37 trusts filled by Covid patients in the week ending December 22 
  • Top experts have warned of a ‘danger zone’ when coronavirus breaches 20 per cent of hospital capacity
  • Yet two trusts in Kent and County Durham were operating at double that threshold in the most recent week

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A quarter of England’s hospitals were treating a ‘dangerous’ number of Covid patients in the run up to Christmas, official figures show amid the looming threat of a third national lockdown

MailOnline’s analysis of NHS England data reveals at least a fifth of general beds at 37 trusts were filled by Covid patients in the week ending December 22. Top experts have warned of a danger zone when coronavirus patients breach 20 per cent of hospital occupancy and the disease starts to impact non-Covid services and drive up the risk of outbreaks on wards.  

Two trusts were even operating at double that threshold during the most recent week, with coronavirus taking up 45 per cent of beds at the Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent and four in 10 beds at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. 

A third of beds at four other trusts across Kent and London — East Kent Hospitals University Trust (37 per cent), Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust (35 per cent), Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (34 per cent) and Dartford and Gravesham Trust (33 per cent) — were being used for patients with the disease. But analysts tracking the outbreak fear 14 trusts will breach the threshold 33 per cent threshold by New Year’s Eve.

Coronavirus patients need to be kept in isolation and treated with stringent infection control measures, which requires more staff and man hours and can put additional strain on hospitals. It makes keeping Covid occupancy below 20 per cent essential to avoid disrupting other parts of the NHS.

NHS bosses are under huge pressure to keep routine services open this winter after coming under fire for shutting them down in spring to deal with the pandemic, in a move which led to millions of vital tests, appointments and operations being missed. 

Meanwhile, analysis of NHS figures reveals every region of England recorded a rise in Covid hospital patients in the most recent week amid calls from SAGE for a third national lockdown. The biggest surge was in London, where the number of beds occupied by Covid patients each day jumped 44 per cent from 1,552 to 2,237.

NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens has warned the health service is ‘in the eye of the storm’ ahead of the harsh winter months because there are already more Covid patients in English hospitals than there were during the darkest days in April and the second wave is continuing to spiral. 

Doctors working on the frontline in London say they are operating under a ‘major incident mode’, with reports of patients in hotspots being treated in ambulances because of a lack of space inside hospitals. One senior medic claimed some trusts in the capital and the South East are considering deploying tents outside NHS units to triage patients — an extreme measure usually reserved for dealing with terror attacks.

A total of 20,426 beds were occupied by patients who had tested positive for coronavirus as of 8am on Monday, up from 18,974 on April 12. More than half of England’s 130 major trusts are already more than 90 per cent full and some are seeing Covid admissions double every week, which leaves hospitals little breathing room with the worst of winter ahead of them.

And yet it emerged today the Nightingale hospitals — which were supposed to be the health service’s saving grace if wards were overwhelmed by Covid — are being quietly dismantled amid reports there are not enough doctors and nurses to man them.   

It comes as Boris Johnson will meet with senior ministers this evening to decide on No10’s latest coronavirus tiers shake-up, with millions more set to join London, the South East and the East in the toughest bracket. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to announce the decisions to the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.  

Britain today recorded 53,135 more Covid cases in a record daily high, in more proof the worst is yet to come. Another 414 deaths were also posted, which was down 40 per cent on last week’s figure. Fatalities won’t start to spike for another fortnight because of how long it takes for infected patients to become severely ill.

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW BUSY YOUR TRUST IS   

 

Doctors working on the frontline in London say they are operating under a 'major incident mode', with reports of patients in hotspots being treated in ambulances because of a lack of space inside hospital. A row of ambulances are parked up at the A&E entrance to Queen's Hospital in Romford today

Doctors working on the frontline in London say they are operating under a 'major incident mode', with reports of patients in hotspots being treated in ambulances because of a lack of space inside hospital. A row of ambulances are parked up at the A&E entrance to Queen's Hospital in Romford today

Doctors working on the frontline in London say they are operating under a ‘major incident mode’, with reports of patients in hotspots being treated in ambulances because of a lack of space inside hospital. A row of ambulances are parked up at the A&E entrance to Queen’s Hospital in Romford today

Whitehall sources have suggested up to two thirds of England could be under draconian stay-at-home orders following the review. Around 24million people are currently living with the measures, representing 43 per cent of the population.

Empty Nightingales torn down ‘because there’s not enough medics to staff them’

Nightingale hospitals are being quietly taken apart as medics warn there are too few doctors and nurses to keep the make-shift facilities open.

Health bosses have already started stripping London’s of its 4,000 beds, ventilators and even signs directing patients to wards, while those in Birmingham and Sunderland are yet to re-open.

An eye-watering £220million of taxpayers’ money was splashed on seven Nightingales amid panic hospitals could be overwhelmed by an influx of Covid-19 patients during the first wave.

But many stood empty for months after ministers hailed them as a ‘solution’ to the Covid-19 crisis when they were opened to much fan-fare during the first months of the pandemic to buffer overwhelmed hospitals.

Intensive care doctors today accused ministers of ignoring warnings staffing was already ‘wafer thin’ in intensive care before splurging on the extra capacity, with little regard as to how they would be run.

And as beds were wheeled away from the flagship Nightingale in London – opened by Prince Charles – figures revealed that Covid-19 hospitalisations in England have surged past the peak of the first wave amid warnings from health chiefs they are back in the ‘eye’ of the Covid storm.  

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Boris Johnson will decide new tiers TONIGHT amid fears he will plunge two-thirds of England into toughest level four tomorrow

Boris Johnson will meet with senior ministers this evening to decide on the Government’s latest coronavirus tiers shake-up.

The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the so-called Covid-O committee, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock then due to announce the decisions to the House of Commons tomorrow afternoon.

The meeting comes amid claims that two-thirds of England, including parts of the Midlands and the North, could be forced to live under the toughest Tier 4 restrictions following the review.

Millions more people are expected to face the harshest stay-at-home orders as the Government responds to the spread of a mutant coronavirus strain thought to be at least 50 per cent more infectious than the original.

Covid hospital admissions are rising in every region, with NHS units in England now treating more patients than they were in the first wave. And Covid infections are continuing to soar, with a record-high of 41,385 announced yesterday.

There are growing fears England could be plunged into ‘Tier Five’ restrictions within days in a desperate attempt to stop the spread of the new variant of the virus.

Scientists guiding the Government through the pandemic are understood to have advised Mr Johnson to impose tougher measures than those rolled out in November’s lockdown.

One of Number 10’s scientific advisers today warned England must be plunged into a third national shutdown to prevent a ‘catastrophe’ in the New Year.

Professor Andrew Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London and member of SAGE, warned the country is entering a ‘very dangerous new phase of the pandemic’.

He called for ministers to ‘learn the lessons’ of earlier waves, when the Government was criticised for being too slow to lockdown, and to act early this time.

Around 24million people living in London, the South East and the East of England are already under the harshest Tier 4 curbs.

But more regions and local authorities are feared to be set to join them after Number 10’s leading scientists admitted they cannot stop the spread of the highly-contagious mutation that officials believe is to blame for rapidly spiralling cases.

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In other coronavirus news: 

  • Boris Johnson will meet with senior ministers this evening to decide on the Government’s latest coronavirus tiers shake-up amid reports two-thirds of England will be placed under the toughest curbs; 
  • The Cabinet is split over schools re-opening with the Health Secretary backing calls for them to stay shut just days before classes are due to resume;
  • Eight care home workers have been hospitalised in Germany after receiving an over-dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine;
  • Regulators have confirmed that vials of the Pfizer jab contain 2.5 extra doses each, meaning thousands more could be vaccinated with the same delivery;
  • Christmas earnings in pubs, bars and restaurants have fallen by 80 per cent compared to last year;
  • Spain says it will keep a register of those who refuse the Covid-19 vaccine and share it with other EU members.

One source told The Telegraph: ‘I would expect more than half of England to move into Tier 4, but it wouldn’t surprise me if two thirds end up in the top tier,’ a health official told the publication. 

‘There is also real concern about the South African variant which seems to be spreading fast. Unfortunately, more action is needed to combat rising cases across the board.’  

MailOnline’s analysis of the NHS England figures shows the biggest surge in Covid hospital patients in the week up to December 22 was in London, where the mutant strain of the virus is already thought to have taken hold.

The number of beds occupied by Covid-19 patients jumped 44 per cent from 1,551.6 to 2,236.7 over the past seven days.

The second highest spike was in the East of England, where they rose 43.9 per cent from 1,118.6 to 1,610.4.

In the South East the figure rose by 27.8 per cent from 1,579.1 to 2,018. 

Overall the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital across England rose by 16.6 per cent, from 11,685.3 to 13,623.9. 

But the numbers only look at general and acute beds and do not take into account Covid patients in intensive care. For our analysis, we only included hospitals that had more than 100 bed capacity.

In the South West, the number of Covid hospital patients rose by 11.4 per cent, from 803.3 to 894.9 and in the Midlands by 5.6 per cent, from 2,489.6 to 2,630.6.

The figure in the North East and Yorkshire increased by 2.7 per cent, from 2,131.3 to 2,188.1, and in the North West it went up 1.6 per cent, from 2,011.9 to 2,044.9. 

Meanwhile, one of No10’s scientific advisers today warned England must be plunged into a third national lockdown to prevent a ‘catastrophe’ between now and February. 

Professor Andrew Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London and member of SAGE, warned the country was entering a ‘very dangerous new phase of the pandemic’.

He called for ministers to ‘learn the lessons’ of earlier waves, when the Government was criticised for being too slow to lock down, and act early this time. 

Calling on the Government to take swift action to curb the spread of the virus, Professor Hayward added: ‘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.

‘A 50 per cent increase in transmissibility means that the previous levels of restrictions that worked before won’t work now, and so Tier 4 restrictions are likely to be necessary or even higher than that.

‘I think we’re really looking at a situation where we’re moving into near lockdown, but we’ve got to learn the lessons from the first lockdown.’ 

Professor Hayward said the rise in cases was ‘very largely driven’ by the new, more infectious variant of coronavirus, and suggested that allowing pupils to return to schools would mean stricter restrictions in other areas of society.

He said: ‘We’ve had control measures that were previously controlling the old variant are not enough for this variant. And so if we want to control the new variant we are going to need much tighter restrictions.’

Professor Hayward said he thought schools would have to return ‘maybe a little bit later’ but that it would mean ‘we’re going to have to have increased, strict restrictions in other areas of society to pay for that’.

‘We need to be more or less in a similar sort of messages of stay at home unless you really, really have to, so there’s that combined with incentivisation of testing, incentivisation of isolation – those sorts of things that will carry us through the next few months while we get as many people as possible vaccinated.’

The Government has not ruled out tougher new ‘Tier 5’ restrictions, which could see schools and universities close, or the prospect of a new national lockdown in January. 

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove yesterday failed to dismiss the idea of putting the entire country in Tier 4. He said: ‘We review which tiers parts of the country should be in on the basis of scientific evidence.

‘The Joint Biosecurity Centre will be making a recommendation to ministers, but I can’t pre-empt that because it obviously has to be a judgment based on the medical situation. The NHS is under pressure and these are difficult months ahead.

Despite hospitals filling up rapidly, it emerged today that the Nightingale hospitals are being quietly taken apart as medics warn there are too few doctors and nurses to keep the make-shift facilities open.

Health bosses have already started stripping London’s site of its 4,000 beds, ventilators and even signs directing ambulances to wards. Stunning photos from inside the emergency hospital today reveal it is virtually deserted, with wards emptied of beds, chairs stacked on top of each other in storage and no ambulances outside.

An eye-watering £220million was splashed on seven Nightingales across England amid fears that hospitals would be overwhelmed by Covid patients during the darkest days of the spring. Officials also constructed 19 temporary field hospitals in Wales, while Scotland and Northern Ireland opened one each.

But many of the mothballed sites have stood empty for months, despite ministers hailing them as a ‘solution’ to the Covid crisis when they were first opened to huge fan-fare. Sunderland’s make-shift facility, which hasn’t been used at all during the pandemic, remains closed.

Exeter’s hospital is the only one treating Covid patients. Manchester’s is open for ‘non-Covid care’, while locations in Bristol and Harrogate are operated as ‘specialist diagnostics centres’ or for ‘local services’. Health chiefs have already revealed that some will eventually be turned into vaccination centres. 

LONDON: The 4,000-bed Nightingale hospital stands empty, amid surging coronavirus cases and hospital admissions across the country. NHS England figures reveal England has more Covid-19 patients in hospital now than during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April. The hospital is pictured on December 22

LONDON: The 4,000-bed Nightingale hospital stands empty, amid surging coronavirus cases and hospital admissions across the country. NHS England figures reveal England has more Covid-19 patients in hospital now than during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April. The hospital is pictured on December 22

LONDON: The 4,000-bed Nightingale hospital stands empty, amid surging coronavirus cases and hospital admissions across the country. NHS England figures reveal England has more Covid-19 patients in hospital now than during the first wave of the pandemic in March and April. The hospital is pictured on December 22

HARROGATE: Of all the Nightingales in England, only Exeter's is being used to treat Covid-19 patients after the area's NHS said it was being overwhelmed. Harrogate's is being used as 'specialist diagnostics centres'. It is pictured today

HARROGATE: Of all the Nightingales in England, only Exeter's is being used to treat Covid-19 patients after the area's NHS said it was being overwhelmed. Harrogate's is being used as 'specialist diagnostics centres'. It is pictured today

HARROGATE: Of all the Nightingales in England, only Exeter’s is being used to treat Covid-19 patients after the area’s NHS said it was being overwhelmed. Harrogate’s is being used as ‘specialist diagnostics centres’. It is pictured today

SUNDERLAND: A general view of the Nightingale hospital in Sunderland today, with just a handful of cars parked outside. It has never been used and remains on standby

SUNDERLAND: A general view of the Nightingale hospital in Sunderland today, with just a handful of cars parked outside. It has never been used and remains on standby

SUNDERLAND: A general view of the Nightingale hospital in Sunderland today, with just a handful of cars parked outside. It has never been used and remains on standby

GLASGOW: The NHS Louisa Jordan is a temporary emergency critical care hospital created to deal with the extra pressure of Covid in Scotland. The site, located within the SEC Centre in Glasgow, has been used to treat patients without the virus since July. There were no ambulances to be seen outside it this morning

GLASGOW: The NHS Louisa Jordan is a temporary emergency critical care hospital created to deal with the extra pressure of Covid in Scotland. The site, located within the SEC Centre in Glasgow, has been used to treat patients without the virus since July. There were no ambulances to be seen outside it this morning

GLASGOW: The NHS Louisa Jordan is a temporary emergency critical care hospital created to deal with the extra pressure of Covid in Scotland. The site, located within the SEC Centre in Glasgow, has been used to treat patients without the virus since July. There were no ambulances to be seen outside it this morning

CARDIFF: Builders construct the new 400-bed surge facility at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Above is a general view of the facility pictured today

CARDIFF: Builders construct the new 400-bed surge facility at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Above is a general view of the facility pictured today

CARDIFF: Builders construct the new 400-bed surge facility at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Above is a general view of the facility pictured today

LONDON: The largest jump in Covid-19 patients was recorded in the capital over the past week. They surged by 44 per cent from 1,551.6 to 2,236.7 beds occupied over the past seven days.

LONDON: The largest jump in Covid-19 patients was recorded in the capital over the past week. They surged by 44 per cent from 1,551.6 to 2,236.7 beds occupied over the past seven days.

LONDON: The largest jump in Covid-19 patients was recorded in the capital over the past week. They surged by 44 per cent from 1,551.6 to 2,236.7 beds occupied over the past seven days.

EAST OF ENGLAND: The second highest jump in infections was in this region, where they rose 43.9 per cent from 1,118.6 to 1,610.4

EAST OF ENGLAND: The second highest jump in infections was in this region, where they rose 43.9 per cent from 1,118.6 to 1,610.4

EAST OF ENGLAND: The second highest jump in infections was in this region, where they rose 43.9 per cent from 1,118.6 to 1,610.4

SOUTH EAST: This region - also under Tier 4 - recorded the third highest jump in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital beds, after they rose by 27.8 per cent from 1,579.1 to 2,018

SOUTH EAST: This region - also under Tier 4 - recorded the third highest jump in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital beds, after they rose by 27.8 per cent from 1,579.1 to 2,018

SOUTH EAST: This region – also under Tier 4 – recorded the third highest jump in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital beds, after they rose by 27.8 per cent from 1,579.1 to 2,018

SOUTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 11.4 per cent, from 803.3 to 894.9

SOUTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 11.4 per cent, from 803.3 to 894.9

SOUTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 11.4 per cent, from 803.3 to 894.9

MIDLANDS: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 5.6 per cent, from 2,489.6 to 2,630.6

MIDLANDS: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 5.6 per cent, from 2,489.6 to 2,630.6

MIDLANDS: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 5.6 per cent, from 2,489.6 to 2,630.6

NORTH EAST AND YORKSHIRE: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 2.7 per cent, from 2,131.3 to 2,188.1

NORTH EAST AND YORKSHIRE: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 2.7 per cent, from 2,131.3 to 2,188.1

NORTH EAST AND YORKSHIRE: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 2.7 per cent, from 2,131.3 to 2,188.1

NORTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 1.6 per cent, from 2,011.9 to 2,044.9

NORTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 1.6 per cent, from 2,011.9 to 2,044.9

NORTH WEST: Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 1.6 per cent, from 2,011.9 to 2,044.9

Secondary school re-opening ‘WILL be delayed by at least an extra week but primaries will open on schedule’

Boris Johnson will delay the opening of all England’s secondary schools for at least another week after pressure from SAGE scientists, ministers, teachers and unions to keep all students at home throughout January, it emerged today.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce the new extended schools lockdown after being accused of ‘dithering’ on the eve of the new term – but primary schools will be told to open as usual on Monday.

Pupils studying for GCSEs and A-levels in Years 11 and 13 will now not go back to school on January 4 as agreed, and will have to wait until at least January 11 – and can only return after receiving a negative Covid test, according to the TES.

The remaining students would then be due back from January 18 at the earliest – but with no mass testing in schools yet and plans to use 1,500 Army personnel to support up to 32,000 UK schools branded ‘ludicrous’ by headteachers there are growing concerns that millions of children will be condemned to ‘sub-standard’ online classes until well into February.

Union chief Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), has praised the decision and said: ‘This would seem a pretty sensible and prudent approach given the rising incidence of Covid rates and the new strain of the virus’.

It came as a senior Tory today demanded Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance publish the data being used to pressure Boris Johnson into shutting schools until February amid warnings a third national lockdown would spark an ‘epidemic of educational poverty’ in Britain.

Robert Halfon, chair of the Education Select Committee, has questioned whether the new strain of Covid-19 has as much of an impact as has been reported and said: ‘We haven’t had the advice from the chief medical officer and the chief science officer, previously they were saying time and time again that the risks to Covid for children were low and that there were marginal transmission rates.’

He added: ‘I asked a very senior public health England official only just before Christmas whether or not this new variant made a difference and he said there was no evidence for that. So what we need to do is hear from the chief medical officer and chief science officer what exactly is the scientific evidence, because at the moment we don’t know for sure.’

Infectious Disease Modeller and SAGE member Dr Mike Tildsley told Times Radio Breakfast: ‘We must avoid falling into the situation where schools are closed for next term. Just because there is a rise in cases in that age group doesn’t mean they’re being infected in schools’.

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And some of the Nightingales – including the flagship unit at London’s ExCeL centre which was opened by Prince Charles – are being dismantled, with unused beds being sent to other struggling hospitals across the capital. Nine temporary sites created in Wales have already closed, including the 2,000-bed facility inside Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

NHS England chiefs today insisted, however, the London Nightingale is on ‘standby’ and ‘will be available to support the capital’s hospitals if needed’.

Intensive care doctors today accused ministers of ignoring warnings staffing was already ‘wafer thin’ in intensive care before splurging on the extra capacity, with little regard as to how they would be run. Labour MPs have called the Nightingales a ‘total waste of resources and money’.

Doctors have warned there is ‘no staff for them to run as they were originally intended’, with Downing St originally hoping that they would be used as mini intensive care units. Dr Nick Scriven, ex-president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: ‘They could play a role if used as rehabilitation units for those recovering but, again, where do we find the specialist staff? The NHS simply does not have the capacity to spare anyone.’

Nurses and doctors set alarm bells ringing today with warnings wards are filling up with Covid-19 patients, as they called on Britons to avoid celebrating the New Year outside their household to curb the spread of the virus.

It comes after it emerged that Boris Johnson will delay the opening of all England’s secondary schools for at least another week after pressure from SAGE scientists, ministers, teachers and unions to keep all students at home throughout January.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce the new extended schools lockdown after being accused of ‘dithering’ on the eve of the new term – but primary schools will be told to open as usual on Monday.

Pupils studying for GCSEs and A-levels in Years 11 and 13 will now not go back to school on January 4 as agreed, and will have to wait until at least January 11 – and can only return after receiving a negative Covid test, according to the TES.

The remaining students would then be due back from January 18 at the earliest – but with no mass testing in schools yet and plans to use 1,500 Army personnel to support up to 32,000 UK schools branded ‘ludicrous’ by headteachers there are growing concerns that millions of children will be condemned to ‘sub-standard’ online classes until well into February.

Union chief Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), has praised the decision and said: ‘This would seem a pretty sensible and prudent approach given the rising incidence of Covid rates and the new strain of the virus’.

It came as a senior Tory today demanded Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance publish the data being used to pressure Boris Johnson into shutting schools until February amid warnings a third national lockdown would spark an ‘epidemic of educational poverty’ in Britain.

Robert Halfon, chair of the Education Select Committee, has questioned whether the new strain of Covid-19 has as much of an impact as has been reported and said: ‘We haven’t had the advice from the chief medical officer and the chief science officer, previously they were saying time and time again that the risks to Covid for children were low and that there were marginal transmission rates.’

He added: ‘I asked a very senior public health England official only just before Christmas whether or not this new variant made a difference and he said there was no evidence for that. So what we need to do is hear from the chief medical officer and chief science officer what exactly is the scientific evidence, because at the moment we don’t know for sure.’

Infectious Disease Modeller and SAGE member Dr Mike Tildsley told Times Radio Breakfast: ‘We must avoid falling into the situation where schools are closed for next term. Just because there is a rise in cases in that age group doesn’t mean they’re being infected in schools’.

Hospitals in Covid hotspots are considering deploying triage tents normally reserved for major incidents like terror attacks – as startling figures show a QUARTER of NHS sites are treating a dangerous amount of Covid patients 

Triage tents normally reserved for major incidents like terror attacks could be set up outside hospitals overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients, a senior doctor has said.

Trusts are considering the option as they struggle in the face of rising numbers of admissions of people with the virus.

Emergency medicine consultant Simon Walsh, who works in north-east London, said staff are working in ‘major incident mode’ and called on the Government to set out a ‘coherent plan’ to get through the coming weeks.

He told the PA news agency: ‘Today, many trusts in London and the South East are effectively operating in a major incident mode.

‘They’re having crisis meetings, they’re calling on staff to come in to work if they’re able to on their days off.

‘They are dealing with queues of ambulances outside many emergency departments, often with patients sat in the ambulances for many hours until they can be offloaded into the department because there simply isn’t any space to put them in.’

Dr Walsh, who is also deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s UK consultants committee, said some hospitals are considering setting up tents normally used in dealing with a ‘sudden surge of patients from a major incident’ such as a terror attack or industrial disaster.

He said: ‘That often involves setting up a tent outside in which patients can be triaged and held in an area because the emergency department just doesn’t have capacity for that number of patients arriving at one time.’

He said staff are preparing for a ‘worsening, increasing number of admissions’ in the next few weeks as the virus continues to spread, and feel ‘very concerned about what the plan is from the Government to deal with that increasing demand at a time when we hear from all the staff, all the doctors and nurses, that they are absolutely working at their maximum capacity’.

Painting a picture of the frontline pressures faced daily by staff, he said: ‘The physical space to admit patients is running out, staff are exhausted and suffering from the effects of depression and stress and burnout from simply overworking and not being able to get breaks, working in their days off.

‘So we really do need a coherent plan from the Government to get us through these next few weeks because at the moment what we’re hearing doesn’t fill us with confidence.’

His words came as another doctor said healthcare staff who had gone online to describe the pressures had been accused of a hoax.

Dr Walsh said: ‘What I would implore people to do is to listen to the staff, the doctors and nurses who are working in hospitals and emergency departments across the NHS across the UK. Listen to what they’re saying.

‘We are absolutely clear that the NHS is under unprecedented demand. The NHS is resilient and copes with a lot of very difficult times but the sustained nature of this unprecedented pressure on the NHS and the ambulance service as well is really unprecedented.’

He said just because people are not seeing images of patients on trolleys in crowded corridors does not mean hospitals are not overwhelmed, and that infection control measures must be taken into account.

He said: ‘One of the key things people need to understand is that if they’re not seeing queues of patients in corridors, it’s not because we’re not overwhelmed, it’s because we are at capacity whilst maintaining safety for those patients.’

London A&E doctor Sonia Adesara warned that the capital’s hospitals are very close to being overwhelmed if coronavirus infection rates are not brought under control.

She told BBC Breakfast: ‘The hospitals are extremely busy – we have seen a massive rise in people coming in with Covid-19 over the past week and this is on top of an increase in the non-Covid cases we see at this time of year.

‘Just like the first wave we are also suffering from staff shortages, staff are getting Covid-19 again and it is extremely difficult, the hospitals are very full.

‘The situation is untenable and I think we are very close to becoming overwhelmed.’

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HOW BUSY WAS YOUR NHS TRUST IN THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 22? 
COVID BEDS OCCUPIED NON-COVID BEDS OCCUPIED UNOCCUPIED TOTAL BEDS TOTAL OCCUPIED % OCCUPIED % COVID OCCUPIED % WEEKLY GROWTH IN COVID BEDS
MID AND SOUTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 423.7 891.7 302.0 1,617.4 1,315.4 81.33% 26.20% 49.42%
BEDFORDSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 131.1 693.7 39.3 864.1 824.9 95.45% 15.18% 58.28%
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL, KING’S LYNN, NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 130.4 330.9 24.7 486.0 461.3 94.91% 26.84% 55.54%
MILTON KEYNES UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 110.7 210.7 47.7 369.1 321.4 87.07% 29.99% 19.05%
EAST SUFFOLK AND NORTH ESSEX NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 173.0 698.7 114.1 985.9 871.7 88.42% 17.55% 34.71%
ROYAL PAPWORTH HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 4.7 139.7 40.1 184.6 144.4 78.25% 2.55% 120.00%
NORTH WEST ANGLIA NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 108.9 644.0 117.0 869.9 752.9 86.55% 12.51% 33.45%
JAMES PAGET UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 36.4 340.0 25.4 401.9 376.4 93.67% 9.07% 27.50%
WEST SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 71.2 300.2 63.0 434.3 371.3 85.50% 16.39% 156.79%
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 42.6 717.0 31.6 791.1 759.6 96.01% 5.38% 8.36%
NORFOLK AND NORWICH UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 92.4 740.6 80.9 913.9 833.0 91.15% 10.11% 13.51%
THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA HOSPITAL NHS TRUST 88.3 258.1 38.0 384.4 346.4 90.12% 22.97% 41.42%
WEST HERTFORDSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 146.3 374.6 25.1 546.0 520.9 95.40% 26.79% 53.18%
EAST AND NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE NHS TRUST 60.9 360.1 89.0 510.0 421.0 82.55% 11.93% 45.39%
BARTS HEALTH NHS TRUST 334.0 892.6 104.6 1,331.1 1,226.6 92.14% 25.09% 57.34%
LONDON NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 153.7 687.6 49.6 890.9 841.3 94.44% 17.25% 41.02%
ROYAL FREE LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 125.7 699.4 22.6 847.7 825.1 97.34% 14.83% 61.76%
NORTH MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS TRUST 103.6 292.7 3.9 400.1 396.3 99.04% 25.88% 68.21%
THE HILLINGDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 85.1 191.7 17.3 294.1 276.9 94.12% 28.95% 39.91%
KINGSTON HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 75.7 262.0 16.3 354.0 337.7 95.40% 21.39% 8.16%
BARKING, HAVERING AND REDBRIDGE UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 276.6 468.0 79.9 824.4 744.6 90.31% 33.55% 11.65%
GUY’S AND ST THOMAS’ NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 74.7 588.0 124.3 787.0 662.7 84.21% 9.49% 80.97%
LEWISHAM AND GREENWICH NHS TRUST 157.7 620.7 28.3 806.7 778.4 96.49% 19.55% 63.80%
CROYDON HEALTH SERVICES NHS TRUST 104.3 322.4 22.3 449.0 426.7 95.04% 23.23% 29.66%
ST GEORGE’S UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 124.3 528.0 78.7 731.0 652.3 89.23% 17.00% 24.11%
KING’S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 110.1 1,022.6 63.1 1,195.9 1,132.7 94.72% 9.21% 80.56%
WHITTINGTON HEALTH NHS TRUST 34.3 142.7 0.9 177.9 177.0 99.52% 19.28% 63.27%
THE ROYAL MARSDEN NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 9.4 130.4 45.9 185.7 139.9 75.31% 5.08% 40.43%
CHELSEA AND WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 110.0 462.3 40.9 613.1 572.3 93.34% 17.94% 51.57%
HOMERTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 52.7 161.4 38.3 252.4 214.1 84.83% 20.88% 51.85%
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 45.6 471.6 23.4 540.6 517.1 95.67% 8.43% 78.21%
ROYAL BROMPTON & HAREFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 6.9 129.0 97.0 232.9 135.9 58.34% 2.94% 92.00%
EPSOM AND ST HELIER UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 150.9 385.1 92.6 628.6 536.0 85.27% 24.00% 36.61%
IMPERIAL COLLEGE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 100.4 695.9 183.6 979.9 796.3 81.27% 10.25% 37.84%
WALSALL HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 76.7 344.6 32.3 453.6 421.3 92.88% 16.91% -19.53%
CHESTERFIELD ROYAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 25.3 399.9 52.6 477.7 425.1 89.00% 5.29% 5.36%
SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 61.6 216.4 32.3 310.3 278.0 89.59% 19.84% 24.39%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF NORTH MIDLANDS NHS TRUST 287.7 912.1 56.1 1,256.0 1,199.9 95.53% 22.91% 0.40%
SHERWOOD FOREST HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 79.0 404.4 68.4 551.9 483.4 87.60% 14.32% -5.79%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE NHS TRUST 100.9 803.4 32.9 937.1 904.3 96.49% 10.76% 18.66%
THE ROYAL WOLVERHAMPTON NHS TRUST 115.0 525.9 104.9 745.7 640.9 85.94% 15.42% 15.33%
WYE VALLEY NHS TRUST 27.9 211.6 19.4 258.9 239.4 92.49% 10.76% 35.42%
THE DUDLEY GROUP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 125.8 394.7 18.2 538.7 520.5 96.63% 23.36% 1.36%
KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 76.1 364.7 32.1 473.0 440.9 93.20% 16.10% -8.26%
NORTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL NHS TRUST 161.7 363.3 44.0 569.0 525.0 92.27% 28.42% -0.70%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BIRMINGHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 358.7 1,761.3 135.7 2,255.7 2,120.0 93.98% 15.90% 12.55%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF DERBY AND BURTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 236.4 918.6 132.1 1,287.1 1,155.0 89.73% 18.37% 6.71%
UNITED LINCOLNSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 175.1 573.0 97.9 846.0 748.1 88.43% 20.70% -18.48%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF LEICESTER NHS TRUST 242.7 930.9 185.3 1,358.9 1,173.6 86.36% 17.86% 16.37%
WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 105.9 504.7 93.4 704.0 610.6 86.73% 15.04% 8.33%
NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 219.9 962.3 195.6 1,377.7 1,182.1 85.80% 15.96% 7.92%
SANDWELL AND WEST BIRMINGHAM HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 114.7 387.9 91.6 594.1 502.6 84.59% 19.31% 13.42%
SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL NHS TRUST 52.9 522.7 69.0 644.6 575.6 89.30% 8.20% -2.12%
SOUTH TYNESIDE AND SUNDERLAND NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 195.7 550.0 162.7 908.4 745.7 82.09% 21.54% 17.29%
BRADFORD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 88.3 381.3 34.6 504.1 469.6 93.14% 17.51% -7.35%
YORK TEACHING HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 73.7 560.6 57.3 691.6 634.3 91.72% 10.66% 4.88%
HARROGATE AND DISTRICT NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 12.0 217.0 48.9 277.9 229.0 82.42% 4.32% -23.64%
AIREDALE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 30.0 238.0 40.0 308.0 268.0 87.01% 9.74% -13.22%
BARNSLEY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 87.7 237.4 46.4 371.6 325.1 87.50% 23.61% 10.63%
THE ROTHERHAM NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 114.3 278.4 23.0 415.7 392.7 94.47% 27.49% -0.37%
SHEFFIELD TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 246.1 932.4 127.9 1,306.4 1,178.6 90.21% 18.84% 18.26%
NORTHERN LINCOLNSHIRE AND GOOLE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 118.0 411.0 59.7 588.7 529.0 89.86% 20.04% -7.92%
NORTH CUMBRIA INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 39.6 395.9 39.7 475.1 435.4 91.64% 8.33% 30.66%
DONCASTER AND BASSETLAW TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 147.9 458.9 30.3 637.0 606.7 95.25% 23.21% 11.53%
GATESHEAD HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 23.0 316.4 63.0 402.4 339.4 84.35% 5.72% 4.55%
LEEDS TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 115.1 1,158.4 110.0 1,383.6 1,273.6 92.05% 8.32% -12.86%
THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 48.0 839.1 203.6 1,090.7 887.1 81.34% 4.40% -12.27%
NORTHUMBRIA HEALTHCARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 94.1 567.0 164.9 826.0 661.1 80.04% 11.40% -8.47%
SOUTH TEES HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 69.4 553.4 100.4 723.3 622.9 86.11% 9.60% -4.71%
NORTH TEES AND HARTLEPOOL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 188.4 239.0 38.0 465.4 427.4 91.84% 40.48% 13.02%
HULL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 122.9 592.6 65.4 780.9 715.4 91.62% 15.73% 6.17%
CALDERDALE AND HUDDERSFIELD NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 72.0 394.0 17.9 483.9 466.0 96.31% 14.88% -8.86%
MID YORKSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 177.0 620.6 59.3 856.9 797.6 93.08% 20.66% -9.50%
COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 124.9 577.3 94.9 797.0 702.1 88.10% 15.67% 9.66%
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 199.3 1,115.7 156.7 1,471.7 1,315.0 89.35% 13.54% 4.26%
WIRRAL UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 59.9 516.3 48.0 624.1 576.1 92.31% 9.59% 1.21%
ST HELENS AND KNOWSLEY TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 30.1 571.3 72.3 673.7 601.4 89.27% 4.47% -15.60%
MID CHESHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 83.6 322.1 25.1 430.9 405.7 94.16% 19.40% 26.62%
THE CHRISTIE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 2.9 111.7 23.6 138.1 114.6 82.94% 2.07% 122.22%
LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 130.9 1,104.3 237.1 1,472.3 1,235.1 83.89% 8.89% 16.69%
THE WALTON CENTRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 0.0 117.0 36.0 153.0 117.0 76.47% 0.00% N/A
EAST CHESHIRE NHS TRUST 68.9 175.4 31.4 275.7 244.3 88.60% 24.97% 27.51%
COUNTESS OF CHESTER HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 140.6 313.7 22.4 476.7 454.3 95.30% 29.49% 2.82%
SALFORD ROYAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 130.6 495.7 67.4 693.7 626.3 90.28% 18.82% 12.84%
BOLTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 83.0 356.0 45.7 484.7 439.0 90.57% 17.12% -2.68%
TAMESIDE AND GLOSSOP INTEGRATED CARE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 37.0 256.9 51.1 345.0 293.9 85.18% 10.72% 11.16%
WRIGHTINGTON, WIGAN AND LEIGH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 65.1 269.7 6.6 341.4 334.9 98.08% 19.08% -1.08%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS OF MORECAMBE BAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 164.9 335.9 62.3 563.0 500.7 88.94% 29.28% 3.59%
SOUTHPORT AND ORMSKIRK HOSPITAL NHS TRUST 43.9 273.4 23.1 340.4 317.3 93.20% 12.88% -17.69%
PENNINE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 169.3 700.9 79.1 949.3 870.1 91.66% 17.83% -10.02%
STOCKPORT NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 58.0 417.1 42.7 517.9 475.1 91.75% 11.20% 13.41%
WARRINGTON AND HALTON TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 116.4 248.1 34.7 399.3 364.6 91.31% 29.16% -6.75%
BLACKPOOL TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 114.6 501.7 16.7 633.0 616.3 97.36% 18.10% 8.38%
LANCASHIRE TEACHING HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 161.9 359.7 78.9 600.4 521.6 86.87% 26.96% -8.78%
EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 172.6 544.3 73.4 790.3 716.9 90.71% 21.84% -11.82%
ISLE OF WIGHT NHS TRUST 2.6 203.9 10.6 217.0 206.4 95.13% 1.18% N/A
ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 36.3 352.4 36.6 425.3 388.7 91.40% 8.53% 16.51%
FRIMLEY HEALTH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 171.6 830.9 22.7 1,025.1 1,002.4 97.78% 16.74% 81.42%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL SOUTHAMPTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 40.6 785.0 177.6 1,003.1 825.6 82.30% 4.04% 42.71%
PORTSMOUTH HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 227.3 628.1 54.4 909.9 855.4 94.02% 24.98% 46.10%
ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 59.6 326.9 42.1 428.6 386.4 90.17% 13.90% 4.77%
HAMPSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 63.1 508.3 139.4 710.9 571.4 80.39% 8.88% -17.07%
DARTFORD AND GRAVESHAM NHS TRUST 141.3 278.8 12.2 432.3 420.2 97.19% 32.69% 26.68%
MEDWAY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 185.7 199.6 19.4 404.7 385.3 95.20% 45.89% -4.90%
OXFORD UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 87.0 654.4 45.3 786.7 741.4 94.24% 11.06% 24.80%
ASHFORD AND ST PETER’S HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 53.4 332.1 40.6 426.1 385.6 90.48% 12.54% 25.50%
SURREY AND SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 74.0 439.4 23.4 536.9 513.4 95.64% 13.78% 36.68%
EAST KENT HOSPITALS UNIVERSITY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 321.0 450.6 88.4 860.0 771.6 89.72% 37.33% 13.71%
MAIDSTONE AND TUNBRIDGE WELLS NHS TRUST 229.1 385.4 39.9 654.4 614.6 93.91% 35.01% 31.37%
EAST SUSSEX HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 145.4 503.0 81.6 730.0 648.4 88.83% 19.92% 113.42%
BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 105.3 517.6 64.0 686.9 622.9 90.68% 15.33% 41.73%
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 63.0 244.4 10.9 318.3 307.4 96.59% 19.79% 37.81%
WESTERN SUSSEX HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 32.1 726.0 70.1 828.3 758.1 91.53% 3.88% 75.78%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DORSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 97.7 759.9 112.6 970.1 857.6 88.40% 10.07% 25.97%
YEOVIL DISTRICT HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 63.6 207.1 21.9 292.6 270.7 92.53% 21.73% 18.67%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS BRISTOL AND WESTON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 102.1 614.0 69.6 785.7 716.1 91.15% 13.00% -0.42%
TORBAY AND SOUTH DEVON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 11.4 327.1 32.0 370.6 338.6 91.36% 3.08% 2.56%
DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 5.1 233.1 27.3 265.6 238.3 89.73% 1.94% 12.50%
NORTHERN DEVON HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST 31.6 183.7 41.7 257.0 215.3 83.77% 12.28% 9.95%
ROYAL UNITED HOSPITALS BATH NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 49.0 381.6 58.4 489.0 430.6 88.05% 10.02% -29.50%
ROYAL CORNWALL HOSPITALS NHS TRUST 27.4 456.1 85.3 568.9 483.6 85.01% 4.82% 88.24%
SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 53.9 423.6 51.3 528.7 477.4 90.30% 10.19% 21.61%
ROYAL DEVON AND EXETER NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 101.9 470.4 97.3 669.6 572.3 85.47% 15.21% 4.85%
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS PLYMOUTH NHS TRUST 18.4 700.1 78.3 796.9 718.6 90.18% 2.31% -18.35%
GREAT WESTERN HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 28.9 482.6 27.1 538.6 511.4 94.96% 5.36% 12.22%
SALISBURY NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 15.1 364.1 22.7 402.0 379.3 94.35% 3.77% 37.66%
GLOUCESTERSHIRE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 171.0 549.7 65.0 785.7 720.7 91.73% 21.76% 5.18%
NORTH BRISTOL NHS TRUST 84.9 701.4 42.9 829.1 786.3 94.83% 10.23% 53.49%

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