Devon covid hospital patients down

Another 20 per cent drop

The number of patients in every one of Devon’s hospitals following a positive covid-19 test has fallen in the last week.

As of Tuesday morning, 195 patients were hospitalised and had tested positive, down on the 254 the previous Tuesday, the second week in a row the number has dropped by more than 20 per cent.

Devon’s figures are slightly inflated by the fact that they have been taking patients from elsewhere in the country, including Somerset and Dorset, because those counties are closer to capacity than Devon.

In total, 41 patients at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital had covid (down from 58 on 2Feb ), 54 at the NHS Nightingale Exeter (down from 57), 33 at Torbay Hospital (down from 35), 62 in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth (down from 92), two at North Devon District Hospital (down from 8), and three in Devon Partnership NHS Trust units (down from four).

The figure for the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital is the lowest since 4 November, while the two in North Devon are the lowest since 13 October.

The number of patients in mechanical ventilation beds across the two counties is down too: 17 in Derriford, six at the Royal Devon and Exeter, three in Torbay, and one in North Devon, for a total of 27, down from 35 as of last Tuesday, while in Cornwall, the total remains unchanged at 14.

Dr Paul Johnson, clinical chair of the Devon CCG, told Team Devon Local Outbreak Engagement Board meeting that while patient number in hospitals are declining, there is a way to go before getting back to business as usual. He said: “We have just under 200 patients with covid, which is the first time since early January, and it does reflect where we were early November, so there is still a way to go where we were in the autumn and the summer.

“There has been a steady decline but we still need the Nightingale to maintain covid activity and the urgent and emergency work we need to do. We are using independent sector to get as much of the work we can done but we are still not at the position for full elective activity and still more to do before we can return to business as usual.”