Here are the hospitals with the highest rate of COVID patients

Health workers wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) on the intensive care unit (ICU) at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside as they continue deal with the increasing number of coronavirus patients. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
Health workers wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) on the intensive care unit (ICU) at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside. (Getty)

Several hospitals across England have seen the number of coronavirus admissions surge past levels seen in the first wave of the pandemic, newly released data shows.

Statistics compiled by Public Health England (PHE), presented to cabinet ministers last week ahead of Saturday’s lockdown announcement, show there are currently scores of hospitals dealing with over 100 COVID-positive inpatients.

A graph illustrates that the number of coronavirus patients at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Trust in Yorkshire and Blackpool Hospital Trust exceeded their first wave peak on 19 October.

Liverpool University Hospital Foundation Trust was next worst hit, with patients passing the highest first wave levels a day later on 20 October.

A Public Health England heat map shows hospital admissions for COVID have risen sharply. (PHE)
A Public Health England heat map shows hospital admissions for COVID have risen sharply. (PHE)
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a virtual press conference inside 10 Downing Street in central London on October 31, 2020 to announce new lockdown restrictions in an effort to curb rising infections of the novel coronavirus. - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced a new four-week coronavirus lockdown across England, a dramatic strategy shift following warnings hospitals would become overwhelmed under his current system of localised restrictions. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PEZZALI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The PM announced a second nationwide lockdown on Saturday. (Getty)

Several other hospitals, mainly in the north of England, have reported exceedingly high levels of coronavirus in the past week.

In total, 24 hospitals reported COVID patient levels at over half their previous peak during the first wave of the pandemic.

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On Friday, figures released by the government showed that more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients are now being treated in hospitals across the UK.

But the number has yet to reach the 20,000 seen at the height of the first wave of the pandemic earlier this year.

Liverpool University Hospitals Foundation Trust had the highest number of beds occupied by coronavirus patients in England on Tuesday at 450, according to NHS England data.

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Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust in Greater Manchester was second on the list with 290 inpatients.

In Nottinghamshire, which has been subject to Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, the number of hospitalisations is 40 per cent higher than those seen in April.

And in Greater Manchester, most hospital trusts will reportedly exceed their critical care capacity by next week due to high COVID-19 hospital admissions.

The county’s public health director Jonathan Gribbin said “even a well-organised NHS and care system will struggle to cope” with the sharp rise in patients in the county’s hospitals.

It comes as advisors from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said on Friday that England has breached its "reasonable worst-case" scenario for COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions.

Sage also warned that the number of daily deaths in England is in line with that scenario, but "is almost certain to exceed this within the next two weeks".

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