Hospitals across West Yorkshire and Harrogate are continuing to see significant numbers of COVID-19 patients and are asking the public to be patient while they deal with this surge in demand. 

Since the end of May, when there were 42 COVID-19 patients across the six hospital trusts that work together as WYAAT (The West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts), figures released today (21/10) show there are 418 people receiving treatment across our hospitals, 36 of which are in intensive care units (ICU).

This week's figure represents a 14% increase in hospital patients compared to the previous week.

Hospitals are still treating significant numbers of patients and with this additional demand it means we have to prioritise those in the most urgent medical need.  This means the time you may wait at an emergency department for more minor treatment could be impacted and you may have to wait longer than anticipated.

Please also remember that while many restrictions have been lifted there has been no change to the requirement to wear face masks and observe social distancing in hospitals and other clinical settings.  This is to help protect vulnerable patients and ensure staff can continue to work in order to meet the significant demand facing the NHS.

If you have a medical issue and you are not sure what to do, please call NHS 111 or go online to 111.nhs.uk. This will help to ensure you are directed to the right NHS service for your issue. If it's an emergency, always dial 999.

A daily record of patients who have died is published by NHS England.  

Data by trust (as at 8am 21/10/21)*

*Hospitals across our region have varying bed numbers and services