The number of patients being taken into hospitals in Nottingham has doubled week on week for three weeks in a row, according to a leading health authority.
The inpatient levels in hospitals are now the same as they were in early July, he said.
Doctor Andy Haynes is the executive lead of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System.
Speaking during a meeting of the Outbreak Control Engagement Board, he said: ”In terms of activity in the acute sector, in the hospitals, we’ve seen a doubling of the number of inpatients for each of the last three weeks. It’s about the number we were at for early July.
“To set that in context, that’s much smaller numbers than they’ve seen in the West Midlands.
“So it’s a rising pattern but we’re still at a lower level than other areas, and I don’t think we’ve seen any increase in deaths in hospitals at the moment.”
It comes as the number of cases has risen significantly across the city in recent days.
Until recently, the number of cases in Nottingham was rising gradually, broadly in line with the rest of the country.
Health bosses in the city have urged people in the city to begin following new guidelines now, despite the Government not being expected to announce new restrictions until next week.
During the same meeting, Director of Public Health Alison Challenger said tougher Government restrictions were ’inevitable’, and that with the number of cases in Nottingham doubling in less than seven days, it was time for residents to start following what they expected the new rules to be as soon as possible.
The ‘dramatic’ rise in Nottingham was faster than had been seen elsewhere in the country, she said, with the city going from ‘about average’ to sixth highest in the country.
It means residents in Nottingham City are urged not to:
- Mix indoors with people from other households, unless you are part of a support bubble.
- This includes in your home, others’ homes and at leisure and hospitality venues
- You can still visit venues but we (Nottingham City Council) ask that this is only with your own household/support bubble.
