YORK Hospital is having to postpone more planned operations as the number of Covid patients continues to soar.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said today that the number of patients with coronavirus at York and Scarborough hospital had risen to 166, while a total of 401 Covid patients has now died since the pandemic began.

Chief operating officer Wendy Scott said it needed to release additional beds and redeploy staff, and had had to postpone some planned operations due to take place in coming weeks.

However, it would still carry out urgent operations, for example cancer surgery, and use local independent hospitals' facilities.

“Our senior medical staff are reviewing all planned surgical admissions to prioritise the most urgent patients for the surgical beds we have available," she said. “We know that having an operation rescheduled will be a worry and an inconvenience for those patients affected, and we are sorry that we have to do this. It is not a decision we take lightly."

She said postponed operations would be re-scheduled as soon as possible, with patients contacted by phone or letter.

"It is important that you still attend as planned if you do not hear from us before your procedure date," she said.

“The emergency departments in both of our hospitals are also extremely busy. Please help us to help you by only using A&E for emergencies that are life or limb-threatening. If you are unsure about what to do, please consult NHS 111 first (by phone or online) to help you get the right service.

“Our staff are doing an outstanding job responding to the pandemic; however it is absolutely vital that we all play a part in reducing the spread of the virus by complying with the lockdown restrictions and by following the health guidance of Hands, Face, Space.”