A STRETCHED hospital trust is preparing to treat double the number of covid patients it cared for during the first wave last year.

Staff at South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust are working flat out to care for rising numbers of virus patients on top of winter demands.

It is understood 210 patients are being treated as of Friday - with 37 people in critical care (January 15).

South Tees public health chief Mark Adams told Middlesbrough’s overview and scrutiny how James Cook University Hospital was under significant pressure - and he expected the situation to get worse.

He said: “They’re modelling points to a peak of 300 beds potentially occupied by people with covid.

“The figures will start picking up further from now as a result of those infected over the Christmas period.

“This is the real area of concern for us across the system at the moment.”

Last year, South Tees saw a peak of 152 covid patients being treated with 26 people in critical care.

Councillors were told last summer the trust had plans to care for up to 350 covid patients on wards alongside the added complexity of keeping day-to-day services running.

Consultant Dr Richard Cree laid bare the demand being faced at the Middlesbrough hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) in his latest blog.

On Wednesday, he told how James Cook Hospital was struggling to find staffed ICU beds as they no longer had enough to allocate one trained ICU nurse to each patient.

A South Tees Trust spokesman said experienced clinicians had been predicting and preparing for the trust to care for more than 300 patients with covid-19.

He added: “If the lockdown is working, and there are early signs that it might be, we will ultimately see fewer patients requiring covid care.

“This is why it is so important for everyone to stay at home and only leave when it is absolutely necessary.

“If you have to leave home, behave as though you have the virus and remember to wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others.

“We want to say an enormous thank you for the invaluable support which everyone continues to show by following the rules despite the disruption and sacrifices to their own lives at this time.”

NHS data shows community covid rates have fallen across Teesside in the past week.

Seven day figures from January 6 to January 12 show Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland rates have fallen below 400 cases per 100,000 people as lockdown begins to take effect.

Council figures show Middlesbrough’s latest weekly covid rate is down to 313.5 cases per 100,000 - down from a peak of above 600 cases per 100,000.

Mr Adams said lockdown seemed to be having a significant effect - telling councillors steps to protect care homes had seen lower numbers of deaths despite higher covid rates in this latest wave.

However, he expected covid fatalities would rise in the coming weeks on the back of demands at James Cook.