Liverpool hospitals are at breaking point and may stop cancer treatment and urgent surgery if covid cases continue to rise at their current rate, senior medics warned.
The unfolding crisis in our hospitals was laid bare as a BBC Breakfast film crew visited a coronavirus ward in the Royal Liverpool Hospital where despairing staff spoke of their concerns.
The report revealed that this time last month only around 30 covid patients were being treated by the trust - however now that number has rocketed to more than 300.
Staff say patient numbers are doubling every 10 days and if that does not change within weeks there will be no more beds.
Dr Tristan Cope, medical director of Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs the Royal, Aintree and Broadgreen hospitals, was asked what would happen if things continue at their current rate.
He said: "The hospital becomes full, the emergency department becomes full, ambulances sitting outside the emergency department because they can't offload patients into the emergency department, and that then means ambulances aren't available in the community to respond to emergencies.
"We're still really stretched, at the moment we're just about coping but if admissions continue at their current rate then we'll have to take further action and that might include stopping cancer and urgent surgery as well."
Keep up to date with coronavirus cases in your area by adding your postcode below:
The crew also spoke to recovering covid patient Michael Jowitt, a previously fit and healthy pensioner who spent three days in intensive care before beginning to improve.
Still visibly breathless, he described his experience with the disease, saying: "It's not fun, it's not fun at all. This is serious stuff. I thought on Sunday I was going to see my maker.
"We just need to have a step back, and see, yep some of you are OK, but by God, if you get it and you're one of the unlucky ones, then you're talking death, you are talking death."
Mr Jowitt praised staff at the Royal, telling the BBC: "I could not wish to be more looked after, they are absolutely fabulous people."
But the strain was clear on hospital staff.
Staff nurse Diane Morgan said: "We're overwhelmed, and it's not even winter yet, and look at us."
The crew captured Diane as she waited for a family to say their final goodbyes to a man who was beyond medical help.
She said: "This is hard, this is really really hard, this family haven't been able to see their dad the whole time he's been in hospital and we've had to call them in now because he's about to pass away.
"And that's just horrendous for everybody involved. People need to realise that when they think I'm just bending the rules or I'm breaking the rules just a little bit, they need to realise that every time they do that they are putting everybody else at risk. "
Dr Peter Hampshire, clinical director at the hospital, said the disease was not confined to the very old.
He said: "We've got patients in their mid 30s, up to mid 70s, so it is a serious disease that can affect you whatever age you are."
Clinical technician Irene Poole said: "Having to do all this again, it's just really tiring and really upsetting."
Another ward sister added: " I just feel, how much more can we take? This is not sustainable, it is not sustainable."
