Almost 20% more people went to A&E at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary in October compared to the same month before the pandemic.
That's according to a report from the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Dame Jackie Daniel, who highlighted that there were also significantly more ambulances arriving at the hospital and less free beds for patients than in the months before Covid-19 hit. Dame Jackie's report warned of the "further challenges" the NHS is facing this winter.
The hospital boss - who also serves as vice-chair of the NHS Confederation organisation - said that despite a mild November, winter's bite had already been felt on the wards. In the report, submitted to the trust board last week, she said: "While the November weather may have been unseasonably mild, the start of winter pressures across the NHS has already been very evident.
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"These come on top of the strains that have been faced throughout the year, and staff across the Trust are therefore continuing to work in challenging conditions."
Dame Jackie said that demand "continued to escalate" - and that there were 18% more patients heading to A&E at the RVI than prior to Covid-19, and nine per cent more ambulance arrivals. She added: "Higher urgent and emergency care demand at the front door also results in higher levels of occupancy for our beds, with the level of unoccupied beds available at any time to receive new patients reduced by around a third compared to before the pandemic.
"Increased demand and reduced vacant capacity in which to move patients through the hospital leads to greater waits and pressures on staff."
However, she also laid out part of the plan to mitigate pressure on the NHS during a tough winter - with industrial action also expected to hit the health service this winter and strike days already announced for nurses, including in Newcastle.
Dame Jackie said: "To prepare for the further challenges expected through the winter, we will be adding further capacity as staffing allows - both through opening ward 12 at the Freeman as an additional winter ward, and launching our ‘virtual’ ward for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients." Virtual wards see patients monitored remotely by NHS medics using technology that means they can be looked after at home.
Regarding industrial action, Dame Jackie said that she wanted to reiterate how much the Trust valued staff, while saying that, though the pay dispute was a matter between the Government and trade unions: "Good pay and conditions are important for staff and their families, as well as for the NHS’ overall ability to retain and recruit the workforce we need."
She also encouraged people to take up flu and Covid-19 vaccines should they be eligible, to help mitigate the pressure on the NHS.
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