Whiston Hospital preparing to open fourth coronavirus ward

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is edging ever closer to putting its escalation plans into action as admissions continue to rise at an alarming pace, the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal.

The trust, which runs Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals, has also seen a sharp increase in coronavirus-related deaths over the past fortnight.

Since September 28, the trust has recorded 14 coronavirus deaths.

Five of those, which occurred last week, were included in the daily NHS England data between Friday and Sunday.

The trust’s coronavirus death toll now stands at 224.

Whiston also saw a sharp increase in admissions over the weekend, jumping from 66 on Friday to 90 Covid-positive patients today (Monday).

The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care has also gone from four people on Monday, October 5, to nine as of today.

At the end of last week the trust opened up its third ward specifically for Covid-positive patients. The trust is now preparing to open up a fourth ward following the steep rise over the weekend.

A St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said it is at a “critical point”, although no other treatments have been stood down.

However, the trust has warned that if admissions continue to rise at the current rate, it may have to prioritise treatment.

Andy Ashton, an A&E consultant at Whiston Hospital, said: “Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen a big increase in the number of Covid-positive patients being admitted to our hospitals, and this is extremely concerning for all of us here.

“We have Covid-positive patients in intensive care once again and we’ve had to re-establish Covid cohort wards after being able to de-escalate all of these wards over the summer months.

“The reality is that if the numbers continue to increase at the rate that they are increasing, we may have to prioritise treatment for the most clinically urgent cases, which means that patients who need more routine care could end up waiting longer.

“That’s not what any of us want and it’s vital therefore that we all play our part by following the local guidance to help protect the most vulnerable in our society.

“Please help us and encourage your friends and family to do the same.”

The situation at Whiston echoes the situation in hospitals across the Liverpool City Region, which is one of the driving factors behind the Government placing the region under even tighter lockdown restrictions.

In Liverpool, hospital admissions are the highest in the UK, with the Royal Liverpool Hospital the worst affected.

Addressing the House of Commons today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined the Government’s new three-tiered lockdown system, with the Liverpool City Region being placed in Tier 3, or “very high” alert, from Wednesday.

Under the measures, pubs and bars, gyms and leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will all close.

The PM said around £1 billion of “new financial support” will be provided to local authorities in England.

Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and its council leaders have been locked in talks with ministers all weekend to try and negotiate a support package to accompany the tougher restrictions.

And earlier today, Merseyside MPs were given just 10 minutes notice to attend a meeting with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the Government’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

Speaking afterwards on BBC Radio Merseyside, St Helens North MP Conor McGinn said hospitals in the region are “only a couple of weeks out for reaching a real crisis point”.

Mr McGinn said: “I am very worried by the figures that were presented this morning around the rate, the increasing rate, where it’s been transmitted in certain age groups and how it is effecting hospitalisation rates.

“We account for 40 per cent of all cases here in the North West and our hospitals are filling up pretty quickly. And I think we’re only a couple of weeks out for reaching a real crisis point.

“And of course that is a huge impact then on the existing health inequalities that we already have in places like St Helens, where people have higher incidences of cancer, lung disease and COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and all of those industrial diseases.

“We do need a public health solution to all of this, the Government just needs to find the right one and listen to those of us who are in our communities, on the ground, about the impact this is going to have and the need for them to help us.”