Hospital bosses in East Lancashire feeling the pressure caused by rise in Covid cases
The medical director of a Lancashire hospitals trust has said an increase in numbers of coronavirus patients and A&E attendances is putting pressure on the system.
In a video update on Thursday, executive medical director of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Jawad Husain said there were 34 patients with coronavirus, and of those 10 were in the intensive care unit.
He said they were seeing younger patients being admitted to hospital and into intensive care.
He added: "If vaccination is being offered, please do take it up."
Mr Husain said the trust had also seen an increased number of attendances at their A&E and urgent care departments.
"This puts a strong pressure on the system which is trying to do its best to deliver the right care to the right people," he said.
He issued a plea for patients to contact 111 or their GPs if their issues were not urgent.
Lancashire, along with neighbouring Greater Manchester, is receiving enhanced Government support following a rise in cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus.
The support will be used for surge testing and to enable vaccines to be offered in more locations.
Meanwhile Blackpool Teaching Hospitals has also said its attendances in A&E are continuing to rise, with around 90 patients in the department.