Hospitals ‘In Crisis' As PM Says Pressure To Last Weeks

Johnson says no new measures needed as ‘exhausted’ staff asked to give up rest days (Supplied)

- Rebecca Thomas

The NHS is in a “state of crisis”, leaders have warned, as hospitals across the country declared critical incidents and prime minister Boris Johnson admitted pressures will last for “weeks”. Hospitals and ambulance services across the UK have moved up to their highest alert levels as they grapple with “unprecedented pressure”, with Covid driving staffing shortages at the same time as rising admissions.

England and Scotland recorded a combined 157,758 new cases of Covid yesterday, while the number of patients in hospitals across England with the disease reached 13,151 – up from 12,615 on New Year’s Day. No new data for Wales or Northern Ireland was available yesterday.

“In many parts of the health service, we are currently in a state of crisis,” said Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals.