New figures show strain on hospitals in Northumberland and North Tyneside

On average between December 26 and January 1, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust had 794 of its 869 beds occupied – an occupancy rate of 91.3%.

An occupancy rate of 85% is generally considered to be the safe limit – one that has been endorsed by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).

NHS England and NHS Improvement have previously suggested 92% should be considered the recommended safe limit for bed occupancy in winter.

Across England, 93.2% of general and acute hospital beds were occupied on average each day across acute trusts, leaving fewer than 7,000 beds available for new patients across the entire country.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We recognise the pressures the NHS is facing following the impact of the pandemic and are working tirelessly to ensure people get the care they need, backed by up to £14.1 billion additional funding for health and social care over the next two years.

“This includes investing an additional £500 million to speed up the safe discharge of patients from hospital, creating the equivalent of 7,000 more beds nationally and establishing 24/7 data driven system control centres in every local area to manage demand and capacity.”

“There are record numbers of nurses and doctors working in the NHS – with almost 4,700 more doctors and over 10,500 more nurses compared to October 2021.”

Nuffield Trust chief executive Nigel Edwards said: “No health system should be running their hospitals this hot, with bed occupancy levels at over 90% for many NHS trusts. It is almost certain that levels of overcrowding in NHS hospitals in England are even worse than the published data suggests due to the time of day when it is recorded.

“The lack of manoeuvre and available beds is leading to dangerously busy and difficult conditions in accident and emergency departments, waiting rooms and corridors.

“For years before the pandemic, the NHS was forced to push the boundaries of what is considered effective and safe occupancy rates. Frequent high levels of beds in use have contributed to record waiting lists we are seeing now and some of the in-hospital transmission of Covid during waves of the pandemic. There is also evidence that overcrowded hospitals increase risks to patients and link to higher rates of mortality.”

NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “We knew this winter would be one of the most difficult in the history of the NHS and I want to thank staff for all their hard work in caring for and treating so many patients while dealing with record demand on services, including the enormous pressure from flu and covid.

“The plans we announced last autumn will help ensure we are in the best place possible to provide care for patients at this incredibly challenging time.

“It remains vital that people make the most of services like 111 online and as ever, only use 999 in an emergency, and it’s also crucial that those who are eligible come forward for flu and covid vaccines as soon as possible.”