Bolton sees slight decline in covid patients

HSJ understands the Greater Manchester hospital had 43 beds occupied by covid patients this morning, down from 49 on Thursday last week. The seven-day average is also showing signs of levelling off (see chart below).

Local leaders have described the borough of Bolton, where high numbers of the Indian variant have been reported, as being in a “fourth wave” of coronavirus.

Government and national NHS leaders are monitoring the local situation closely, as they approach a key decision around whether to proceed with a further easing of lockdown measures.

Positive case rates in Bolton started rising steeply at the end of April, with hospital demand then beginning to rise from around 10 May.

The number of beds occupied by covid patients doubled in the eight days to 27 May.

However, positive case rates had started to fall by around 20 May, and covid bed occupancy has now declined gradually over the bank holiday weekend.

The rise in covid occupancy at the Royal Bolton during May happened at a similar pace to the gradual increase in demand seen in September last year, but has been far slower than in April 2020, or November 2020. 

Surge testing and additional vaccination capacity have been deployed to the town in the last fortnight.