New official data shows where coronavirus infection rates and cases are rising across Devon.

Robert Rowlands www.devonlive.com 

Statistics released from the Government today show there have been 142 new cases reported across the county.

That takes the total since the pandemic arrived to 12,067.

Analysis of clusters in the county – areas where more than two cases have been reported – shows where infection rates are rising, falling and staying the same.

The data for the seven days to December 26 shows that 10 areas of East Devon have seen their rate rise according to the new data.

The same is true of eight areas of Exeter, nine areas of Mid Devon, two areas of North Devon, eight areas of South Hams, six areas of Teignbridge, five areas of Torbay, six areas of Torridge and five areas of West Devon.

In addition, one new area without a cluster has emerged – Paignton Central in Torbay.

Five other areas remain cluster-free, meaning they have two cases or fewer: Oakehampton, Seaton, Totnes Town, Great Torrington and Ipplepen & Broadhempston.

The area with the most positive cases remains Chagford, Princetown and Dartmoor (64) after an outbreak at the prison.

[Owl reproduces the detailed data for East Devon and Exeter – see devonlive article for details of the remaining Devon districts]

Data from UK government released December 31, showing new confirmed cases and infection rate per 100,000 in the seven days to December 26. Note – place names that are bolded up have seen their infection rate and case numbers go up

East Devon

	East Devon (Devon)	Axminster	13	139.5
	East Devon (Devon)	Budleigh Salterton	6	96.5
	East Devon (Devon)	Clyst, Exton & Lympstone	11	160.9
	East Devon (Devon)	Cranbrook, Broadclyst & Stoke Canon	26	193.1
	East Devon (Devon)	Dunkesewell, Upottery & Stockland	14	241.1
	East Devon (Devon)	Exmouth Brixington	6	92.6
	East Devon (Devon)	Exmouth Halsdon	13	187.4
	East Devon (Devon)	Exmouth Littleham	21	279.5
	East Devon (Devon)	Exmouth Town	8	108.3
	East Devon (Devon)	Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh	12	161.9
	East Devon (Devon)	Feniton & Whimple	19	216.9
	East Devon (Devon)	Honiton North & East	13	214.9
	East Devon (Devon)	Honiton South & West	11	200
	East Devon (Devon)	Kilmington, Colyton & Uplyme	4	47.9
	East Devon (Devon)	Ottery St Mary & West Hill	27	303.1
	East Devon (Devon)	Poppleford, Otterton & Woodbury	3	48.8
	East Devon (Devon)	Seaton	0	0
	East Devon (Devon)	Sidbury, Offwell & Beer	4	74.1
	East Devon (Devon)	Sidmouth Sidford	6	85.3
	East Devon (Devon)	Sidmouth Town	6	114.5

*Indicates there were fewer than three cases

Exeter

	Exeter (Devon)	Alphington & Marsh Barton	12	163.4
	Exeter (Devon)	Central Exeter	17	140.6
	Exeter (Devon)	Countess Wear & Topsham	11	142.6
	Exeter (Devon)	Exwick & Foxhayes	12	158.6
	Exeter (Devon)	Heavitree East & Whipton South	13	172.4
	Exeter (Devon)	Heavitree West & Polsloe	11	128.8
	Exeter (Devon)	Middlemoor & Sowton	18	143.4
	Exeter (Devon)	Mincinglake & Beacon Heath	6	85.5
	Exeter (Devon)	Pennsylvania & University	11	94.6
	Exeter (Devon)	Pinhoe & Whipton North	12	128.1
	Exeter (Devon)	St James’s Park & Hoopern	10	104.3
	Exeter (Devon)	St Leonard’s	17	253
	Exeter (Devon)	St Thomas East	16	195.5
	Exeter (Devon)	St Thomas West	13	178.7
	Exeter (Devon)	Wonford & St Loye’s	15	181

Last March Owl pointed out that the South West has the lowest number of critical care beds per head of population. It also has the oldest population (so highest expected mortality).

Modelling at the time suggested we, in the South West, needed six times more beds than currently exists in the region (600 per cent), i.e. we have least slack. These metrics  showed that London (surprise, surprise) should be the best equipped to manage the pandemic.

So it is very surprising to hear that London is having to move critical care patients elsewhere and, more particularly, Kent patients have been transferred to Bristol and Plymouth. See:

Kent’s critical care patients are being transferred to Plymouth

Carl Eve www.plymouthherald.co.uk 

Critical care patients from Kent are being transferred to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

Patients from the South East are being moved to hospitals in the South West to alleviate pressure, it has been confirmed.

The Health Service Journal (HSJ) recently revealed it had seen a leaked report which suggested requests had been made to transfer patients in need of intensive care from London’s hospitals to Yorkshire, where Covid-19 rates are far lower.

It noted that sources in intensive care had told the HSJ there had been requests in recent days for transfers from London to several major hospitals in Yorkshire, because of a lack of capacity in the capital.

Now it has been confirmed critically ill patients are being moved to Derriford Hospital. The requests so far relate to small numbers of patients.

Sources at the hospital have told PlymouthLive that the South West is taking or preparing to take intensive care patients to lighten the pressure on the South East’s hospitals.

Currently critical care is running at more than 100 percent of capacity across London and the South East.

On Monday night, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) occupancy was at 114 and 113 per cent respectively.

In comparison, the North East and Yorkshire region has 67.6 per cent occupancy while the South West is basking in an occupancy rate of 66.5 percent.

HSJ claim this internal NHS critical care capacity dashboard reveals intensive care unit occupancy as of Monday night (Image: HSJ)

The HSJ reported that it had asked NHS England how many inter-regional transfers had taken place in the last month because of a lack of ICU capacity. It did not respond specifically to this question but said the NHS’ plans to manage “significant pressure” have always included mutual aid to manage admissions.

The statement added: “While the NHS is opening more beds in places like London to care for the most unwell patients, it is vital that people continue to follow government guidance and do everything possible to reduce transmission of the virus.”

The below table, taken from the critical care dashboard data leaked to HSJ, shows critical care occupancy figures for each NHS region as of the evening of December 28:

Region	Critical care occupancy of “standard footprint”	% covid-19 patients (“covid load”)
London	114	62
South East	113	60
East of England	100	60
Midlands	84	57
North West	81	43
North East and Yorkshire	67	41
South West	66	30

In response to questions as to whether patients had been brought to the South West from London and Kent, or if plans were afoot to do so, an NHS spokesperson told PlymouthLive: “The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to manage significant pressure either from high COVID-19 infection rates or non-Covid winter demands and this has always included mutual aid practices whereby hospitals work together to manage admissions.

“While the NHS is opening more beds in places like London to care for the most unwell patients, it is vital that people continue to follow government guidance and do everything possible to reduce transmission of the virus.”

Tonight the BBC has confirmed patients from the South East are being transferred here to Plymouth.