Coronavirus: Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital set to have more than a third of beds filled with Covid-19 patients by New Year's Eve

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which runs Queen Alexandra Hospital, is predicted to have 37 per cent of beds filled with Covid-19 patients following analysis by the Health Service Journal.

The HSJ has analysed growth and occupancy rate in the last week and predicted 14 trusts will have coronavirus patients in more than one out of three beds across the hospital.

Currently PHU has Covid-19 patients in 21 per cent of its beds.

It comes after a plea from hospital chief executive Mark Cubbon for residents to follow tier 4 rules to help staff battle increasing pressures.

He said: ‘Right now, cases are higher at QA as we are treating both Covid and non-Covid patients. While we have plans in place to care for more patients affected by the virus, we are under increasing pressure, with more requiring intensive treatment than earlier in the year.

‘We all have a role to play in reducing the spread of Covid-19 and following the guidance issued in our area is the best place for us to start.’

The move to tier four for Portsmouth, Havant and Gosport has left many with the questions after neighbouring areas that are served by Queen Alexandra Hospital, including Fareham, were kept in tier two.

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt raised the issue with the Chief and Deputy Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientist.

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth South MP calls on Matt Hancock to share data on how new Covid strain is affecting the city

She told The News: ‘What people need is the clearest picture we can paint of what the coming weeks and months will bring, even if it is gloomy news. These are uncertain times, but where we can create a bit of certainty we should. It is the constant change and having to adapt that is tiring everyone and making life harder for business.’

Portsmouth MP and Portsmouth City Council leader, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson have called for more clarification over whether the new covid variant is affecting the area.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson tweeted: ‘The Portsmouth director of public health has not been told of any positive test results of the new strain of the virus here in Portsmouth.

‘So if the [government] know this they are not sharing it with the Director of Public Health.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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