HEALTH chiefs have warned of a “vicious sting in the tail” from the pandemic in response to a slowing fall in Covid patients at a Teesside trust. 

Virus demands at South Tees Hospitals NHS trust have now dropped well below those seen last month – when a peak of 238 Covid patients were on wards and 39 were in critical care at James Cook Hospital. 

But the latest figures for Monday show the demands have remained steady in the past week with intensive care pressures still high.

Trust chiefs revealed 128 virus patients were being treated at trust sites today with 23 people receiving top level critical care. 

A South Tees spokesman said: “The high numbers of hospital patients with Covid-19 who still require critical care shows the vicious sting in the tail which this virus continues to have.

“This is why it remains so important for everyone to limit the risk of infection by following the rules – hands, face, space.”

There was cheer from trust chiefs earlier this month when patient levels fell below the high water mark reached during the first wave last year. 

Intensive care consultant Dr Richard Cree gave a detailed assessment of how the trust compared nationally in his latest blog.

However, the James Cook doctor wrote it was “disappointing” the number of intensive care patients hadn’t changed a great deal in the past week. 

He added: “The hospital is still admitting about ten Covid patients every day and the fall in the overall number of patients in the hospital has slowed somewhat. 

“Despite this, the total number of Covid wards within the trust has reduced further to six – meaning that more and more staffed beds are now available for non-Covid patients.”

South Tees demands in 2021

February 22 – 128 (23 critical care)

February 16 – 121 (26 critical care)

February 9 – 149 (22 critical care)

February 1 – 203 (32 critical care)

January 25 – 238 (39 critical care)

January 20 – 222 (33 critical care)

January 15 – 210 (37 critical care)

January 11 – 166 (24 critical care)

January 3 – 136 (19 critical care)

Last week, neighbouring North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust warned demand on its intensive care unit was still high. 

NHS data dashboard shows rates are falling across Teesside – although the fall is still slower in Middlesbrough than other areas.

Council figures showed a rate of 293 per 100,000 in the town in the week to February 19. 

South Tees public health director Mark Adams said the numbers were concerning and hoped they’d act as a “wake-up call”. 

Meanwhile, NHS data dashboard figures showed Redcar and Cleveland recorded 146.6 per 100,000 between February 13 and February 19 – with Stockton on 183.4 and Hartlepool on 174.