THE number of Covid-19 patients needing hospital care in the North West is slowing down, health chiefs have said.
It’s a region that for a time in October had the UK’s highest Coronavirus infection rate.
The Western Trust’s director of acute hospitals, Geraldine McKay, said there is now a plateau in admissions Altnagelvin Hospital.
But the number of patients needing intensive care remains high, she said.
“Critical care is still moving up and is under pressure at this moment in time so that is where we find ourselves, but patients coming into hospital with Covid seems to have plateaued,” Ms McKay said.
Sixty-three Coronavirus patients are currently being treated at the hospital, 11 in the intensive care unit (ICU).
She added: “There has been quite a hike in patient numbers this surge compared to the first surge.”
The trust, she said, is now in a position “where we hope we have peaked” and “are now managing the very significant situation of dealing with outbreaks in the community”.
There have been 5,786 confirmed cases in the Derry and Strabane council area since March – 4,503 of them were diagnosed since the start of October.
Thirty-five patients died in Altnagelvin during October, the trust has confirmed.
By the middle of the month the area had the highest Covid-19 infection rate per 100,000 population, according to the figures compiled by the BBC’s data unit.
Previously, medical officials said there was “strong evidence” that coronavirus restrictions imposed in the Derry City and Strabane council area were making a difference.
Ms McKay thanked people for doing what was asked of them in minimising the risk of infection.
The trust, currently in “level red” of its Covid surge plan, has also revealed more than 1,000 staff – about 10% of employees – are currently off work.
Ms McKay said the second wave spike has had an “ongoing” impact on surgical services.
Fourteen cancer surgeries that were cancelled in October due to a hike in Coronavirus cases have now been completed, she said.
>However, Ms McKay raised concerns over some patients cancelling their own hospital surgeries due to fears about coming to the hospital.
There are currently a total 1,328 staff off sick across the trust, with 492 staff absent in Altnagelvin, 139 at South West Acute Hospital and 697 who work in the community.
Altnagelvin Hospital
Last week, the Western Trust made an urgent appeal for employees to volunteer at local care homes hit by staff shortages.
Bob Brown, who is the director of people care, said he was really pleased with the success of the appeal.
He said it was “a lot to ask” for staff to take on extra duties, but he said nurses, social care staff and paramedics had all answered the call for extra support.
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