The number of excess deaths recorded by the Office for National Statistics in the week to Christmas Day was higher than the number of coronavirus deaths, provoking more fear over the impact of pressures on the NHS on care for other conditions. Intensive care doctors also warned that transfers of sick patients between hospitals — in some cases over long distances — were becoming more common in the search for suitable beds. A further 3,587 new admissions or diagnoses of Covid-19 patients in hospitals in England were reported on Wednesday, with 27,727 beds occupied by coronavirus patients. Patients with Covid-19 in UK hospitals now over a 30,000The ONS said that 11,520 deaths registered were in the week ending December 25. This was 3,566 deaths, or 45 per cent, higher than the five-year average.

Source: The Times January 06, 2021 17:07 UTC