The number of occupied beds at Oxfordshire’s hospitals dropped sharply during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, new figures reveal.

Medical experts say a decrease in bed occupancy across England was partly driven by hospitals discharging patients and cancelling planned treatment to free up capacity to deal with Covid-19.

But they also raised concerns about the potential impact on patients who put off seeking help due to fear of catching the virus.

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NHS data shows there were just 641 overnight stays recorded at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) between April and June, down from 907 between January and March – a decrease of 29 per cent.

The drop in bed occupancy at the trust was similar to the England average, where the figure fell 31 per cent to 76,300 – the lowest number on record.

Oxford Mail:

John Radcliffe Hospital. Picture: Ed Nix

Dr Nick Scriven, former president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the emptying of wards was due to several factors, including hospitals discharging patients and cancelling planned admissions. He added: “As well as this was the well-documented move by people in general to avoid coming to hospitals at all costs, often to their detriment.”

Sarah Scobie, deputy director of research at the Nuffield Trust think tank, said the drop in numbers could be partly down to fewer people needing emergency care due to lockdown restrictions.

But the impact on patients who avoided seeking treatment due to fear of infection was yet to be seen, she said.

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At OUH the number of available beds actually rose from 1,001 between January and March to 1,031 between April and June.

It was a contrast to the average across England, however, where the figure fell eight per cent to around 118,500.

Sara Randall, chief operating officer at OUH, said: “In common with other hospital trusts, Oxford University Hospitals postponed non urgent surgery and ensured that we had enough beds for the expected influx of Covid-19 patients.

"The preparations that we made, which were carried out incredibly quickly by our dedicated staff, meant completely changing the set-up of wards across our hospitals to ensure that we had the right beds in the right places for Covid and non-Covid patients. I would like to thank our staff again for the flexibility they have shown.”