Our hospitals and staff remain under significant pressure and this week we saw 668 beds occupied by Covid+ patients, according to the latest figures. We can all help to reduce these numbers in our hospitals by following the national guidance to stay at home to help stop the spread of the virus. We can all help to reduce the strain on our hospital staff by making sure we choose the right service for our needs – if in doubt use the 111 service. 

The vaccination programme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is underway and we now have 11 sites offering the life-saving vaccine to the most vulnerable in our community. This week we are offering vaccines at a GP surgery in Eastwood as part of a pilot, if successful, this could be rolled out to further areas across Nottinghamshire. You can find out more here.

Latest figures: 

• We have seen 342 admissions relating to Covid-19 in the seven days to 31st January, compared with 467 for the previous seven days.
• We have 668 beds occupied by Covid+ patients as of the 2^nd February, this compares to 749 on 26th January.
• Of those 668 beds, 10% were mechanically ventilated.
• We now have more than double the amount of people in our hospitals than we did at the peak of the first wave in April.
• In the week from 28th January – 3^rd February we saw 100 deaths in hospital, a rise from last week’s recording of 93.
• Latest data shows that in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire we have administered 128,374 vaccinations to date. Last week alone we delivered 44,038 vaccines.
• A breakdown of the figures shows 95% of our care home residents have received the vaccine, 85.4% of people aged 80+, 70.9% of people aged 75-79 and 19.6% of people aged 70-74.
• In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, we have 3 Hospital Hubs, 7 Local Vaccination Services and a large Vaccination Centre in Mansfield as well as a “roving team” of staff offering vaccinations to care homes residents and housebound people.
• In December, we saw 465,913 appointments in general practice. Of those 51% were the same day or next and 56% were face-to-face.

Amanda Sullivan, Accountable Officer for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Latest figures show we are making excellent progress with our vaccination programme – 128,374 doses have been administered with 44,038 in the last week alone. Each day we are delivering a significant amount of vaccines to the most vulnerable in our communities and the work of our staff and volunteers to accomplish this has been outstanding. All of our modelling indicates that, as long as we continue to receive supply of the vaccine, we are on track to deliver the vaccines to the top four cohorts in line with the Prime Minister’s deadline of mid-February.

“Over the next two days residents in the Eastwood area who are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine are being invited to have their vaccination at Church Walk Surgery. If this pilot is successful it could be rolled out at areas of low uptake across Nottinghamshire. In order to open sites there is a very careful process and several rigorous checks take place to ensure safety, accessibility, power supplies, security and many other factors. It is a process that takes time which cannot be rushed and we are grateful for the public’s patience.

“Finally, I would like to thank the NHS staff playing such a pivotal part in the vaccination programme. Their resilience and positivity has been inspirational and it has been fantastic to see the numbers of those vaccinated increase at such an encouraging rate. One comment that I hear over and over again is the phenomenal way our system has come together to deliver this programme. It’s not just health and social care staff too, it’s volunteers, airline pilots, dentists and even a funeral director who are all helping us deliver the biggest vaccination programme in history.” 

Remember: 

The NHS is here for you and so if you are concerned about a new lump or mole or have any other health issues then please get in touch with your GP or in an emergency call 999. If you are unsure which service you need, call 111 or go to 111 Online who will advise you on the best service for your needs. 

If you have symptoms of coronavirus, including a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste, then get a test by calling 119 or go online to https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test 

For more information about the Covid-19 vaccination programme, please click here. 

For information on how to book a Covid-19 vaccination appointment, please click here.