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Quarter of latest UK coronavirus deaths were at same London NHS trust

People wearing masks as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 leave Northwick Park Hospital: AFP via Getty Images
People wearing masks as a precautionary measure against Covid-19 leave Northwick Park Hospital: AFP via Getty Images

Twenty-one of the 87 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the UK on Tuesday were at a single hospital trust in London.

The patients died between Friday and Monday at Northwick Park Hospital and Ealing Hospital, which are both managed by London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust in Harrow, north-west London.

The new deaths reported on Tuesday represent a spike of 26 per cent and are the biggest daily increase since the start of the outbreak.

The figures do not mean that all of the deaths happened on Tuesday, as it takes time for the NHS to collect the figures.

People wearing face masks leave Northwick Park Hospital (AFP via Getty Images)
People wearing face masks leave Northwick Park Hospital (AFP via Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Sadly, we can confirm that a further 21 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have passed away between Friday March 20 and Monday March 23, and our thoughts remain with those people who have lost loved ones.

“Our trust is seeing a high number of Intensive Care Unit cases, and we are stepping up our support in response to this demand, having already significantly increased the number of intensive care beds at our hospitals, but we need everyone to also do their bit by staying at home and washing your hands.”

The trust told staff that it had run out of critical care beds at the Northwick Park Hospital on Thursday, and had asked nearby hospitals to transfer coronavirus patients.

The incident was resolved on Friday but a spokesperson for the trust told the Standard that the situation was fluid and subject to change.

Seven people died at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Essex after catching coronavirus, while Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Leicester and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust all reported four deaths.

To help prevent hospitals being overwhelmed by a surge in coronavirus patients, a new emergency hospital called NHS Nightingale will open at the Excel Centre in east London next week, with capacity for 4,000 patients.

Over 8,000 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, according to the NHS.