THE NUMBER of people being treated at the Royal Bolton Hospital with coronavirus has passed the peak of the first wave.

Latest figures from NHS England show that more than 150 patients were being treated for covid-19 at the hospital over the last week – hitting a new high of 162 inpatients on November 12.

The first wave of infections saw 148 patients cared for on the Trust's busiest day, April 14.

Cllr Sue Haworth, Labour lead for health and governor for the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Need for care by very sick Covid patients has shot up. Our Trust has been offered the use of the temporary Nightingale Hospital in Manchester for Bolton’s recuperating patients.

“Once again NHS staff are making an outstanding contribution to Bolton, caring for the marked increase in patients at the hospital that has occurred these last weeks.

"I know the increase in patients with covid hospital staff are caring for is in addition to other sick patients, whose health worsens in this period of winter pressures in the NHS.

“The pressures NHS staff are facing battling a second wave of coronavirus are clear which is along with the sheer exhaustion the long months of working under Covid is bringing."

More than 600 patients have been discharged from hospital after battling covid-19.

Nearly half of all discharges have taken place since September, with 295 people - including 35 over 85s - recovering enough to head home.

The over 85s account for a sixth of all patients discharged, whilst 225 people aged 18-64 beat off the virus in hospital before heading home.

Nine children aged six - 17 needed to be treated in hospital for the virus before heading home, whilst 16 little ones under the age of five have been treated and discharged since March.

Earlier in the week, The Bolton News revealed the borough had one of the highest proportion of covid patients across the country – with one in four patients needing treatment for covid-19.

Yesterday, two more patient deaths at the hospital were linked to coronavirus, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 346.

In addition, an extra 118 cases of covid-19 were diagnosed across the borough, bringing the total number of infections to 13,961.

Figures show that the infection rate has dropped to 436.4 new cases per 100,000 people in the week to November 14.