UK hospitals are under extreme pressure due to rising Covid-19 cases

Hospitals in the South of England say they have experienced a “real rise in pressure” as the number of coronavirus patients receiving treatment increases.

London Ambulance Service’s called Boxing Day (26 Dec) one of its “busiest ever days,” with paramedics in London receiving almost 8,000 daily call outs.

On Sunday (27 Dec), around 30,501 infections and 316 deaths were recorded in the UK.

However, these figures for deaths and cases are likely to be higher, as Scotland is not releasing death data between 24 and 28 December, and Northern Ireland is not providing data for either cases or deaths over the same period.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS providers, told the BBC, “We’re seeing a real rise in the pressure for hospital services, but also other types of NHS services as well… ambulance trusts in particular are coming under extreme pressure, as are community and mental health services.”

Speaking about issues in London and in the South, Cordery added, “Part of the issue is many more people coming through the door with Covid, but also people coming through the door with other conditions as well.”

Demand for services ‘risen sharply’

On December 26 in 2019, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) received 5,217 calls. In 2020, this increased by more than 2,500, with medics requiring support from other ambulance services in the South.

In a statement, LAS said, “Like NHS organisations across the country, demand for our services has risen sharply over the past weeks and we are not taking up to 8,000 999 calls a day, compared to 5,500 on a typical ‘busy’ day.

“Our colleagues in emergency departments are also under pressure receiving our patients as quickly as they can. We are working urgently with NHS partners to reduce any delays.”

A LAS memo said that the rising demand was down to the “rapid spread of the new variant of the Covid-19 virus.”

‘One of the most challenging times for the NHS’

Cordery said that people should be “under no illusions