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The London Ambulance Service (LAS) has said that Boxing Day was “one of its busiest days” as the number of coronavirus patients receiving hospital treatment in southern England is heading towards the April peak.Paramedics in the capital are taking up to 8,000 999 calls a day, compared to 5,500 on a typical ‘busy’ day.
In a statement, LAS said that “demand for our services has increased considerably in recent weeks,” as coronavirus cases increase due to prominence of a new variant of Covid.
The 7,918 calls received by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) on December 26 were more than 2,500 compared to 5,217 received on the same day last year, and doctors are receiving support from other ambulance services in the South.
And hospitals have seen “a real increase in pressure” in Level 4 areas, including London and southern England, in recent days, said NHS Providers Deputy Executive Director Saffron Cordery.
Speaking on the BBC, he said: “We are seeing a real increase in pressure for hospital services, but also other types of NHS services… Ambulance trusts in particular are under extreme pressure, as are community and health services. mental health .
“Part of the problem is that many more people enter the door with Covid, but also people who enter the door with other conditions as well.”
She added: “We are seeing real pressure, particularly in London and the South, and that comes from this additional demand, but also from a lack of staff.
“It’s localized right now, but we could see that that’s growing, and I think it’s very important to remember that what’s happening in the community is happening in healthcare settings as well.”
Ms Cordery said that the spread of the coronavirus between communities “has a huge impact” on staffing levels across the NHS.
According to the government’s Covid dashboard, there were 21,286 people hospitalized with coronavirus across the UK on December 22, which is the last day for which data is available.
This is slightly less than the 21,683 patients registered on April 12.
Infection rates in England are currently higher in areas of Essex, London and other parts of the southeast.
Brentwood in Essex has the highest rate in England, with 1,111 new cases registered in the seven days to December 23, the equivalent of 1,442.5 cases per 100,000 people.
The area is at Level 4 of the Covid-19 restrictions along with most of the south of the country, with socialization prohibited and people being told to stay home.
A review is expected to decide whether more areas will move to the hardest level on December 30, as the highly infectious new variant of the coronavirus spreads across the UK and the world.
Cases of the variant infection have been identified in more than a dozen countries, with the most recent reported in Norway, Madeira, and Jordan.People are urged not to socialize during the New Year in an attempt to “slow the spread” of the virus.
Ms Cordery, who leads the group representing the NHS trusts in England, said that people “should have no illusions that this is one of the most challenging times for the NHS.”
“It is vital that everyone pay attention to the new rules and restrictions in the lead up to the New Year and beyond.”
Comes as the The UK recorded an additional 316 deaths from coronavirus and 30,501 people tested positive for the virus.
The latest data from the Department of Health confirmed that the death toll from coronavirus in the UK has risen to 70,752.
