Almost 500 COVID-19 patients in hospital at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus at the Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has risen to almost 500.

The latest statistics from NHS England show 453 people were occupying beds at the trust’s three hospitals – Wexham Park, Heatherwood and Frimley Park - as of December 29.

This represented a 70 per cent rise compared to the 266 COVID-19 patients being cared for by the trust on December 22.

Occupancy of mechanical ventilation beds almost doubled over a seven-day period, rising from 15 to 27 according to the latest figures.

The number of new hospital cases of COVID-19 at the trust between December 21 and December 27 was 364, up from 230 the previous seven days.

This data accounts for any patient admitted to hospital with COVID-19 for the first time as well as anyone diagnosed with the virus in hospital.

Slough’s COVID-19 infection rate stood at 896.8 cases per 100,000 people as of December 29.

Figures from Berkshire Public Health show the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s infection rate has risen to 610.9 cases per 100,000 people.