MORE patients have died at Herefordshire's hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus, the latest NHS figures show.

NHS data showed seven people died in May at the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, after testing positive for Covid-19.

That was lower than the 20 in May, 21 in April, nine in March and 11 in February, but higher than the five in January.

The latest figures, which cover to 4pm on Wednesday (July 6), show no more patients had died with Covid yet this month.

That means a total of 345 patients had died at Wye Valley NHS Trust hospitals after testing positive for Covid-19.

But the toll recently is far below previous months.

In December 2020, 28 deaths were reported, followed by 82 in January, 34 in February and five in March.

Over recent months, the trust has been dealing with a rise in coronavirus cases on its wards and in the community and visiting was, for a time, suspended in most, but not all, circumstances.

The managing director of Herefordshire's NHS has said Covid has been a "perfect storm" a few months ago and has "wreaked havoc".

Jane Ives, managing director of the Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, said staffing numbers and patient pathways were being badly affected.

But since then, the picture has improved.

Wye Valley NHS Trust was caring for 17 coronavirus patients in hospital as of Tuesday (July 5), figures show.

 

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 by 8am on July 5 was down from 19 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Wye Valley NHS Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 was up from 10 a month before on June 7.

There were no patients in mechanical ventilation beds on July 5, down from one on June 7.