Covid-19: Kent hospitals postpone non-urgent treatment

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust had 357 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday

Hospitals are postponing non-urgent procedures after coronavirus cases rose beyond figures seen in the spring.

The NHS in Kent said a rise in numbers "meant difficult decisions" but urgent operations would go ahead as normal.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust had 221 Covid-19 patients on Wednesday - higher than the first coronavirus peak on 8 April when it had 98 cases.

East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust had 357 cases on Wednesday, almost twice its spring peak of 187 on 20 April.

One of the largest trusts in England, it runs hospitals in Canterbury, Ashford, Margate, Dover and Folkestone.

Across England, the percentage of NHS hospital beds that are occupied is increasing and reached almost 89% for the week ending 13 December.

A Kent NHS spokesman said: "We are working hard to ensure we treat as many patients as possible, while ensuring we provide a safe hospital environment.

"However, the increase in numbers has meant difficult decisions to prioritise cases of higher urgency."

The NHS promised that urgent treatments such as cancer operations "will go ahead as normal".