A Norfolk hospital is working under rising demand for beds and an increasing number of patients suffering with Covid-19.

Jonathan Barber, deputy chief executive at James Paget Hospital, told a Friday meeting of the hospital’s board of directors that the hospital was working amid significant “operational pressures”.

“The high ED [emergency department] demand and very limited bed capacity, together with increasing Covid numbers,” said Mr Barber.

He said the calling of a “business continuity incident” on September 14 had “enabled staff to focus on safe and effective care.”

“I think we should applaud our staff, what they’ve been doing and delivering in the last month.”

“Covid numbers have increased - we did temporarily have to have an additional Covid ward, although in the last week we did go back down to one [Covid ward].”

More than 650 patients are still being admitted to hospitals across the UK with Covid-19 every day, according to the most recent figures - though hospitalisations appear to have mildly declined nationally over the course of September.