Oxfordshire’s healthcare system is set to face “huge pressure” this winter as Covid cases soar, with hospitals urging people to stay up to date with vaccinations.
Four of the county’s largest hospitals have seen an increase in the number of people admitted with Covid in recent weeks.
The NHS said the hospitals were bracing for “busy winter months”.
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It comes at a time when waiting lists at Oxfordshire hospitals exceed 80,000 patients – having almost doubled over the last couple of years.
The latest NHS data shows that Oxford University Hospitals Trust are now caring for more patients with Covid.
The trust includes the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, all in Oxford, and Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
The trust was caring for 37 patients with Covid as of October 22. That is up from 35 the previous week, and from 27 the week before that.
The figures also show 20 new patients with Covid were admitted in the week to October 20.
The three Oxford hospitals are in the constituency of Anneliese Dodds, Labour MP for Oxford East, who warned the NHS was at “breaking point.”
“During the last 13 years of Conservative government we have seen a winter crisis in our NHS every single year, despite the best efforts of our amazing NHS staff,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it seems that this year will be no different, and our NHS services in Oxfordshire will be under huge pressure again.
“Our NHS is at breaking point and the Conservative government has no plan to fix it.
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“Labour does have a plan. We will get the NHS working around the clock, with more patients treated on evenings and weekends, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.
“We will get the NHS off its knees and fit for the future.”
Across England there were 3,796 people in hospital with Covid as of October 22.
Nationally, the number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased by 21 per cent in the last four weeks.
Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, accused the government of being “cavalier” in its approach to tackling the rise in admissions .
She said: “The emergence of the new variant and rising cases is causing real concern that we could see a return of last winter’s NHS crisis, with our already stretched NHS services hitting breaking point.
“It’s critical that the government widens the groups eligible for the autumn booster programme, such as for the over-50s and those living with clinically vulnerable people.
“The booster should also be made publicly available to buy, like the flu jab.
“This would help reduce pressure on the NHS, prevalence of long Covid, and help the economy by reducing days lost to sickness.”
One elderly woman told this newspaper her son-in law had waited overnight to receive treatment at the John Radcliffe for an injured foot last month.
Jacqueline Whitt, 71, said she was worried for her own sake if the waiting list grew worse over the winter.
She said: “My daughter was at the hospital with her partner because he had a fall at work. They were sitting there for hours, him in a lot of pain, before even being seen.
“There was also a lady who was waiting there who was diabetic and hadn’t had anything to eat for hours.
“If that’s what it is like now, I’m worried what will happen if it gets worse. I’m not young myself, and I’d be very worried about going into hospital.”
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Sara Randall, the hospital trust’s chief operating officer, apologised to patients who had experienced a long waiting time.
She said the trust will “make every effort to try and reduce the length of time that patients have to wait to be seen in our emergency departments.”
Dr Ed Capo-Bianco, a GP in Goring and Woodcote, urged people to keep up to date with flu and Covid vaccinations to reduce pressure on healthcare services.
He said: “Having a personal winter plan might include stocking up on the cold and flu medicines in your medicine cabinet at home, as well as thinking about other supplies that can help you manage if we have particularly cold weather.
"The flu and Covid vaccines are one of the best ways of keeping yourself well, and defending against what can often be nasty illnesses.
“If you do get flu and Covid at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill."
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