DOCTORS and nurses were caring for 56 coronavirus patients in hospital when the last official count was conducted.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in East Lancashire's hospitals for coronavirus by 8am on November 16 was down from 65 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 increased by 27 in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 29.

Across England there were 6,623 people in hospital with Covid as of November 16, with 796 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally and the number on mechanical ventilators both increased by 9 per cent in the last four weeks.

The figures also show that 50 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust in the week to November 14. This was down from 55 in the previous seven days.