COVID death toll rises at Peterborough City Hospital again

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust said the total now stands at 343. On Wednesday the figure stood at 335.

Caroline Walker, Chief Executive, for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I can confirm that sadly, 497 patients being cared for in our Trust have passed away since we began reporting Covid-19-related deaths. There have been 154 at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and 343 at Peterborough City Hospital. All patients were aged 30 to 98 years old and the majority of those had pre-existing health conditions. We are currently caring for 257 patients with Coronavirus in our hospitals.

"Our thoughts and condolences remain with the patients' families and loved ones at this difficult time."

This week Dr Coralie Carle told The Peterborough Telegraph about the pressures front line medical teams are facing at the hospital.Dr Carle said: "Never before have I had to look after so many critically ill patients who all have the same life-threatening disease.

"On my last clinical shift, our team looked after fifteen patients on one unit all with respiratory failure due to Covid19. The majority of these patients were being helped to breathe by a ventilator.

"This is not just a disease that effects the elderly: we have seen patients in their thirties and forties who have no other medical problems.

"As we did during the first wave, we have turned other ward areas into Intensive Care extension areas to cope with the increased number of patients requiring high level care.

"Our Critical Care Team is being supported by re-deployed doctors, nurses and allied health professionals from other areas of the hospital.

"This helps us to expand our intensive care bed numbers in order to try and meet the ever-increasing demand."

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