Coronavirus in Leeds: Hospitals prepare to suspend non-emergency operations

Senior sources told the Health Service Journal (HSJ) that NHS England has asked trusts to sort their patients by risk so that routine surgery can be postponed as Covid-19 cases surge.

A total of 590 patients have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, with 44 cases confirmed in Yorkshire and the North East.

The HSJ reported that trusts have been told to firm up their plans for how they would reduce and potentially suspend non-emergency operations, while also protecting "life saving" procedures such as cancer treatment.

Any suspensions could last for several months, HSJ reported, and hit thousands of pre-planned operations.

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said on Wednesday the NHS was preparing to cancel non-emergency operations but had not done so yet.

He said freeing up capacity could increase the number of beds needed by those with Covid-19.

"If you stopped doing elective surgery, you could convert theatres, you could convert resuscitation rooms, recovery areas into places where you could provide intensive care," he said.

He said the system could double intensive care capacity "relatively easily", but the NHS was looking at how it could be increased even further.

Around 4.6 million people in England are currently on the NHS waiting list.

Waiting list expert Dr Rob Findlay told HSJ waiting lists would grow, with a big impact on those already waiting a long time for procedures such as hip and knee replacements.