Concern is growing that NHS hospitals may face a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic with a much higher level of covid-positive inpatients than at the beginning of the second wave.
This raises the prospect of the service being overwhelmed during the January-February “winter pressures” period and having to once again halt elective and non-urgent work in many areas.
HSJ understands national NHS leaders are concerned that anything over 5,000 covid patients in hospital by the year end would leave the service vulnerable to being overwhelmed.
Their concerns are based on the fact that the second wave added 13,000 hospitalised covid patients at peak. During the first wave, covid hospitalisation peaked at just over 17,000, and in order to prepare for it the NHS cancelled most elective and non-urgent work.
Source: HSJ, 7 December 2020
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