Hospital Covid infections rise in Wales by 50% in week

The number of hospital Covid infections has risen across Wales by 50% in the past week.

Latest figures show the Aneurin Bevan Health Board, which covers the old Gwent region and Caerphilly county, has overtaken Cwm Taf Morgannwg for cases.

Welsh Conservatives health spokesman Andrew RT Davies demanded an "urgent inquiry" into the rise and said the situation was out of control.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething denied that it was.

Plaid Cymru said the rise in infections was "deeply concerning".

The party and the Welsh Conservatives have demanded a probe into outbreaks at the Cwm Taf health board, which has seen 57 deaths related to outbreaks.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said health staff were doing "everything possible" to prevent the spread of infection.

"We're doing all that we can to prevent the spread of infection, thorough cleaning, thorough infection control measures, staff donning PPE, thorough cleaning between all patient contact," he said.

Mr Hughes said there are around 900 patients reiving care for coronavirus in Welsh hospitals.

"The pressures that people are facing on the frontline are enormous," he added.

"Occasionally you do have staff who are asymptomatic with Covid or patients who are asymptomatic, and even though all possible actions are being taken to... prevent the spread, occasionally these things do happen," he said.

Latest figures from Public Health Wales on Covid-19 infections caught in hospital - 142 - show the largest weekly number since the end of April.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg, which covers Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend, has seen a drop in cases reported in the most recent week and it has been overtaken by Aneurin Bevan.

Swansea Bay health board also reported 25 cases in the week to 18 October, Hywel Dda in west Wales has 15 cases, there are 10 in north Wales and just one in Cardiff and Vale.

The figures cover the week ending 18 October.

Overall, 95% of Covid-19 infections occur in the community - only 5% are caught within hospitals.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board this week reported 10 further deaths related to hospital infections.

Andrew RT Davies said: "Despite the health minister's denials, it's quite clear that hospital acquired infections are now out of control in the Labour-run Welsh NHS.

"After the first Covid outbreak at Wrexham Maelor in September, Vaughan Gething admitted the situation could have been managed better and that lessons would be learnt, but this has clearly not been the case."

He said the problem was the "biggest we currently face and is directly linked to the increasing Covid demand on our NHS".

"Financial resource, manpower and testing capability needs to be directed at this particular hot-spot, as well as ensuring Covid-light areas and field hospitals are up and running to protect patients and staff," he added.

In a letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price raised as a "matter of urgency" the "deeply concerning" figures.

In the letter, he draws Mr Drakeford's attention to several points passed in a Senedd vote on Tuesday night - including a call for a strategy to eliminate Covid, a review of hospital infection control policies and to consider establishing designated Covid-19 free sites.

"Addressing the safety of hospitals for those currently being treated and those who await hospital admission is paramount if we are to see a reduction in the number of cases in hospital and give people confidence to proceed with attending non-Covid treatments and appointments," he said.

"I would be grateful if you could outline how both matters are being addressed and when we can expect the detail of any ongoing work to be made public."

The rise in the number of people catching coronavirus in hospital is certainly a big concern, especially the rate of increase.

There will be questions asked about the strength of infection control measures, for example the procedures for testing patients as they come into hospital, and the measures to segregate Covid patients from others.

And, of course, we've heard opposition parties call for inquiries and accuse the Welsh Government of taking its eye off the ball.

But people getting infected in hospital is not a new phenomenon in this pandemic.

Although there have been steep rises recently, rates were far higher in the spring.

The difference is we just couldn't see it clearly then. The statistics weren't being published and there were so many new cases in a short period of time that it was hard to distinguish where and how people were becoming infected.

In a way, rising rates of hospital infections is another indicator of what is already obvious: Covid-19 is spreading quickly and the situation is serious.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Gething said: "I don't think it's out of control but it's a real risk.

"Because we're seeing a significant increase in community transmission across the country, and of course our staff live within those communities.

"So the point about contact is that it affects all of us in all particular areas of work."

The Welsh Government hopes the national lockdown, coming into effect on Friday, "will allow us to get that under control in terms of reducing the transmission of coronavirus, and it should mean we have more control in all of our environments".