NHS confirms six coronavirus deaths in Northamptonshire hospitals

Six more coronavirus deaths have today been confirmed at Northamptonshire's two main hospitals.

NHS England included the information in Tuesday's daily bulletin that four patients died at Northampton General Hospital on between Sunday and Tuesday this week.

Two more deaths were registered at Kettering General Hospital, both on Monday (November 9).

All six had either tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days or had the virus mentioned on a death certificate.

Today's sad news takes the total to 36 deaths among coronavirus patients at the county's two acute NHS Trusts — 24 at Northampton and 12 at Kettering — since early October.

Northamptonshire has seen record rises in the number of positive Covid-19 tests during the last week with labs confirming 200-plus new cases on each of the last seven days up to Tuesday.

The number of Covid-positive patients currently being treated in the two hospitals has risen to over 100. But both NHS and Public Health officials expect that number to continue going up.

Northamptonshire Hospitals group CEO Simon Weldon predicted recently: "We are going to see cases continue to rise we will see more admissions, hopefully less than we did in wave one but that is what we are gearing up for.

"My job is to follow science. I'm fortunate to be advised by some excellent clinicians and what they tell me is this is a real threat to our most vulnerable elderly people.

"But, equally, I do worry most about about those people who have stayed away from hospital because they are worried about seeking treatment.

"Don't stay away. Our staff go the extra mile every day and if anything frustrates me it's wanting to know I've reached those people to say its safe to come in hospital, you can have your treatment and we are here for you, too."

Covid-19 was already linked to 311 deaths in Northampton and 220 in Kettering between March and August.

A further 157 coronavirus-related deaths in county care homes have also been notified by the Care Quality Commission. The latest, on November 2, was revealed in figures released by the Office for National Statistics today.