Sheffield hospitals reveal number of patients currently being treated for covid and in intensive care

Managers at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals say they are currently treating 320 patients with coronavirus, which is only a small increase on the numbers they were seeing before the festive period, they say.

They said they are also looking after 23 patients in intensive care, but added that the large increase in COVID cases currently being experienced at hospitals around the UK is not so far being replicated in Sheffield.

Dr Jennifer Hill, medical director for operations at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals said: “We are currently caring for just over 320 patients with COVID-19 which is a slight increase on the number before Christmas.

“23 patients are receiving care in ITU. We are still continuing to provide emergency care and much of our planned care as we are very busy but not in the same position as some trusts in other parts of the country who have seen a large surge in COVID cases.

“We are monitoring the situation carefully and have additional capacity in our plans should we continue to see an increase in COVID-19 cases. We would ask patients to attend as planned for appointments or procedures unless we contact them direct to say not to come.

“We have plans in place to respond to further increases in COVID cases if we need to but we would urge everyone to help us by following the lockdown rules and particularly washing hands, keeping distance from other people and wearing a mask. The more people who do this, the more chance we have of people not being admitted to hospital and needing our care.”

In the last month, COVID cases in London, the south east and east of England have reached record highs, with dozens of hospitals saying they are at ‘crisis levels’.

London declared a ‘major incident’ on Friday, as the infection rate exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people and the number of patients being treated in the capital’s hospitals topped 7,000.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.