December 16, 2020 5.37 pm This story is over 39 months old

Over 350 COVID-19 patients in Greater Lincolnshire hospitals as tier decision looms

Wave two sees twice as many people hospitalised

There are currently 357 patients with coronavirus in hospitals in Greater Lincolnshire, but the government’s announcement on tier restrictions has been delayed until Thursday.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust had a total of 204 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, with 126 at Lincoln and 78 at Boston Pilgrim. The total moved up by one to 205 during the morning of Wednesday, December 16.

Chief Executive Andrew Morgan confirmed that a total of 1,140 staff are currently off work, including 654 through COVID-19 reasons.

Mr Morgan said in Lincolnshire County Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee meeting that during wave one, the highest COVID-19 figure was in April with 104 patients, but “wave two has had a much more significant impact on the trust”.

Wave two peaked at over 250 at the start of December. From December 8, ULHT has seen around 153 inpatients and been able to discharge 121 COVID inpatients.

Mr Morgan also said that most Lincolnshire NHS staff will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine until the end of March 2021.

As of Wednesday morning, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust has 133 patients with coronavirus. This breaks down as 49 at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, 76 at Scunthorpe General Hospital and eight at Goole & District Hospital. Of these, five are in ICU at Scunthorpe.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust currently has 17 COVID-19 positive inpatients across its community hospital sites.

Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust currently has two patients in mental health wards across the county who have tested positive for COVID-19.

This data comes after it was announced that a planned relaxation of rules around Christmas will go ahead despite growing pressure to scrap the measures — but an announcement on tiers has been delayed until Thursday — when Lincolnshire is expected to stay in tier 3 lockdown.