Significant numbers of Covid-19 patients in Newcastle's hospitals through June and July have seen the NHS Trust miss key targets for boosting elective activity - but it will still receive NHS funding linked to the targets.
At a meeting of the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust's board this week execs discussed how continuing pressure - with more than 100 Covid-19 positive patients on the wards and at least 40 of them being treated for the virus itself - had limited how much progress could be made to bring down waiting lists.
According to the Government's coronavirus dashboard, there were 105 Covid-19 patients in hospital at the RVI and the Freeman on July 26. Of those, four are in mechanical ventilation beds. The board meeting heard around 40 of those patients are being treated for Covid.
