A Freedom of Information request has resulted in the emergence of information that up to 8,700 patients died after catching Covid-19 whilst in hospital, having been admitted for another medical problem. The figures have been described as “horrifying” by family members of those who died.
The former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that Covid infection rates within hospitals “remains one of the silent scandals of this pandemic, causing many thousands of avoidable deaths”. Official figures supplied by NHS trusts in England show that 32,307 people have either probably or definitely contracted the disease while in hospital since March 2020. Of this number 8,747 of them have died.
Jeremy Hunt has said: “The NHS has done us all proud over the past year, but these new figures are devastating and pose challenging questions on whether the right hospital infection controls were in place”.
According to these startling numbers, University Hospitals Birmingham trust had the highest number of deaths (408), followed by Nottingham University Hospitals. These numbers include people who died in hospital as well as after discharge. They also do not distinguish between those who died of Covid, with Covid at the time of their death.
Matt Fowler from the ‘Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaign’ has said: “The mortality rate for patients and staff who were infected in hospitals is horrifying and must be stopped from happening again ahead of a potential third wave. On issues such as segregating patients on wards, PPE for frontline workers and testing patients who are discharged, there are critical questions around how prepared hospitals were and the resources they were provided”.
Dr Claudia Paoloni who is the president of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association has said: “These unforgivable failings overwhelmed some hospitals and tragically patients including NHS staff who could have been alive today are instead lost, leaving behind a legacy of mourning families and devastated lives”.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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