Deaths of covid hospital patients hit record low

In the seven days to 18 May, 41 covid positive patients died in English hospitals. This is three fewer than the previous lowest figure recorded since the spring 2020 wave — of 44 recorded on 3 September.

The death toll continued to fall after 18 May, but mortality data is not considered reliable until five days have passed.

There was just one covid death in the South West region in the seven days to 18 May, only two in the South East and just three in the East region.

Half of the deaths occurred in the Midlands and North East and Yorkshire regions.

At the height of the winter covid wave in late January, English hospitals were seeing over 6000 deaths a week among covid positive patients.

The NHS England data shows that 87,134 people with a positive covid diagnosis have died since 2 March 2020.

Twenty one trusts have now seen over 1,000 covid patients deaths, with two seeing more than 2,000. They are University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust (2,616) and Mid and South Essex FT (2,385).