Devon covid hospital patients increase

But only a bit

There has been a small rise in the number of patients in hospital across Devon and Cornwall following a positive covid-19 test, driven mainly by increases in Cornwall and Exeter.

NHS England figures show that as of Tuesday morning (December 15), 243 patients across Devon and Cornwall were in hospital testing postivie. This compares to 231 on December 8.

There were 34 patients at the Exeter Nightingale Hospital (up from 32), 116 patients in the Royal Devon and Exeter (up from 88), 21 in Derriford Hospital in Plymouth (down from 36), 10 in Torbay Hospital (down from 23), 29 in North Devon District Hospital (down from 37), 29 at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (up from 5), three in Cornish Partnership Trust hospitals (up from 2), while three beds at Livewell SouthWest facilities (down from 7) are also occupied, but no beds at Devon Partnership Trust facilities (down from 1) were in use.

But the number of patients in mechanical ventilation beds has fallen from 12 to seven, with five at the RD&E and two at Derriford Hospital. There are no mechanical ventilation beds being occupied by covid patients in Cornwall, North Devon or Torbay

The figures show the amount of patients in hospital following a positive covid-19 test who are currently occupying a bed, but not every patient would necessarily have been admitted to hospital due to covid, as some either contract the virus in hospital, or are admitted for unrelated reasons but subsequently test positive.