REPORTS circulating this evening (Tuesday, 29 December) suggest that hospitals in coronavirus-stricken Essex, including Basildon & Thurrock Hospital, will be declared 'full' and new patients will not be accepted.

It is suggested the deadline could be as soon as tomorrow morning – though it is not clear what alternatives will be in place.

Thurrock Nub News reported this morning that local hospital bosses had issued a plea to front line staff who are on leave to return to work to help man the frontline against Covid-19 and maintain other departments.

That was confirmed this afternoon when Diane Sarkar, chief nursing officer at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Demand on our services is high and we are caring for more COVID-19 patients than we did in the first wave of the pandemic, and so we've asked clinical staff who are available and willing if they would consider temporarily deferring their annual leave to help support colleagues.

"This decision remains the choice of our staff, who have continued to be exceptional throughout the pandemic, and we ask the public to help us by following national hands, face, space guidance."

It may be that the plea has come too late to stop the ultimate action of declaring wards are closed.

Sources close to the Trust have told us this evening that emergency plans are being put together and an announcement will be made tomorrow.

Hospitals, including Basildon, within the Mid and South Essex Trust had already cancelled all non-essential operations before Christmas.

Also see [L] https://thurrock.nub.news/n/hospitals-swamped-by-more-covid-cases-than-earlier-in-the-year-however-there39s-brief-respite-and-cheer-for-staff [L+] this story about the rising number of patients.[L]