Northamptonshire's hospitals on high alert for Christmas after nine more Covid deaths

Northamptonshire's two main hopsitals are set to remain on a high level of operational alert all over Christmas.

NHS England today confirmed nine more coronavirus deaths in the county in the space of two days this week.

Northampton General Hospital CEO, Deborah Needham, revealed nearly a quarter of beds in Northampton and Kettering are now taken up by Covid-positive patients.

She added: "NGH has been on the highest of the NHS' Operational Pressures Escalation Levels — OPEL Four — over last ten days while Kettering General Hospital has been on the highest level for a couple of days.

"Neither has escalated to a major incident but there has been severe pressure which I'm expecting to continue over Christmas."

A hospital spokesman later issued a clarification that both hospitals have now de-escalated to OPEL Three, the second highest level.

Nine deaths reported today all occurred on Wednesday and Thursday this week — six at Kettering and three at Northampton, taking the toll to more than 110 at the Cliftonville site during the pandemic's second wave.

According to NHS England, all those who died in hospitals had either tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days or had the virus mentioned on a death certificate.

More than 1,400 new positive tests have been recorded in Northamptonshire during the last week, according to Public Health England figures while hospital admissions have risen to levels similar to those seen at the height of the pandemic's first wave in April.

Ms Needham told Friday's weekly Covid-19 briefing: "Like many other areas, we are experiencing quite high demand for treatment to both Covid and non-Covid patients.

"Most of our beds are full and we have 254 Covid-positive patients in our two hospitals, although we do have enough ITU beds for the most seriously unwell patients.

"We are also dealing with the normal pressures at this time of year and we have had to reduce some non-urgent activity. But, if you have had an appointment cancelled please do not call us we will call you."

The total number of known Covid-related deaths in Northamptonshire hospitals and care homes now stands at 899 since the pandemic started in March — 217 of those have occurred since the early-October, during the pandemic's second wave.