OPERATIONS are being postponed at hospitals in Leeds because of increasing numbers of Covid patients.

The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust says it has had to postpone some planned elective operations to enable it to prioritise patients who need urgent treatment.

Dr Phil Wood, Chief Medical Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Along with the rest of the NHS we are seeing an increase in patients admitted to our hospitals with COVID-19.

“Our hospitals continue to be incredibly busy with significant demand for services right across the healthcare system in Leeds, including in our Emergency Departments.

“Drawing on experience from previous waves of the pandemic we are enacting plans to help us treat increased numbers of COVID admissions whilst still providing care to those patients waiting for scheduled operations.

“While every patient’s care is important to us, we have had to postpone some planned elective operations to ensure patients who require urgent treatment are prioritised. All our cancer patients are given personal treatment plans based on clinical evidence from combined teams of senior clinicians. We are working to reschedule postponed operations as soon as we can.

“We are constantly reviewing the situation and we are committed to achieving timely and safe care for all our patients. NHS services remain available to people and we want them to keep seeking the care they need – with those people in need of urgent help able to get assistance quickly through 111.”

The trust issued its statement after claims in the national press last week that cancer patients in Leeds had had their operations cancelled because of rising numbers of coronavirus patients. According to the Independent an email written by clinical directors, and leaked to it by concerned staff, said the trust had seen a “marked increase” in Covid admissions.

It also outlined that it would be highly likely to have to open another Covid ward.

The email said the trust’s emergency departments were also “overwhelmed” with more than 100 patients more each day than the usual average.

It adds: “This is July – it is unprecedented for us to be in this position.”

The T&A contacted both Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) and Airedale General Hospital on Friday to enquire as to whether they were experiencing the similar issues.

Neither had responded by 5pm on the Friday.

It comes after there was one new death reported from coronavirus at BRI in yesterday's daily NHS update.

But today there were no deaths reported at any of LGI, BRI or Airedale.