'Significant' number of people still being taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital

And Dr Jim Gardner suggested the resort has yet to pass the Covid-19 peak – warning that “there might be a slight descent, but we are still seeing a significant number of new Covid-positive patients coming into the hospital”.

He said: “So we really need to remain vigilant and careful and alert – to use the Prime Minister’s term – around our own behaviour in relation to Covid and how we manage the hospital at this time.”

Dr Gardner said there were 115 Covid-19 patients at the Vic, including six in intensive care, though that figure is likely to have changed.

He said 277 people have been discharged “and that number happily continues to increase”, while NHS England figures showed at least 162 people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus at the Whinney Heys Road hospital.

There are at least 544 confirmed cases in the council area of Blackpool, though thousands more have reported symptoms.

Dr Gardner said everybody arriving at the hospital will be tested for the disease “and we will manage accordingly”.

And he said elective – or prearranged non-emergency – medical work was starting to get back to normal.

He said: “As an example, our gastroenterology team undertook a full list of endoscopies, where tubes are placed into the upper gullet, to have a look for illnesses and so forth, so these kinds of procedures are increasing gradually and steadily as we have the capacity to safely do that.”

The Vic will contact patients considered suitable for those procedures, Dr Gardner said, adding: “Please wait to hear from us if you are expecting some procedure to take place.”

He continued: “We have other work going on, of course, in our theatres where we have prioritised patients. We will continue to do that, but I want to re-stress that if you feel you are experiencing a health care emergency, then please don’t hesitate to contact your GP surgery or dial 111 [the NHS’s medical helpline].

“And if it is a life-threatening emergency, please dial 999 and the emergency services will manage your case accordingly.”

The hospital, which often places patients onto research programmes, has recruited 50 people into a Covid recovery trial – making the Vic one of the top 20 trusts to do so, Dr Gardner said.

“This is a trial where patients are randomised into different treatment modelities to try and understand which drugs and therapies work best for the management of Covid,” he said.

“We will continue to recruit patients into that study as appropriate. In addition, we are recruiting some patients into the genomic trial, where patients’ DNA is being studied in addition to the viral DNA to see if we can find out if there are any particular attributes to do with individuals that affects their care.

“These kind of studies are so important to try and help us understand how to better manage this condition in the future, and thank you to everybody who has been involved in those studies.”