PREPARATIONS are underway to cope with a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has opened 76 isolation beds to treat patients suffering from the disease.

The last known number of patients being treated for Covid-19 was two as of Friday. On Sunday, both patients died.

The Gazette has contacted the Trust for comment.

Two deaths relating to Covid-19 suggests that as many as 2,000 people could be infected in the community, SIr Patrick Vallance told the health and social care select committee on Tuesday.

The chief scientific adviser said it was a "reasonable ballpark" estimate that for every death from Covid-19, there were 1,000 cases in the community.

It comes as hospitals have been told to cancel non-urgent surgery and free up beds as they prepare for large numbers of Covid-19 patients.

In a letter to senior managers and hospital trusts, NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens and NHS chief operating officer Amanda Pritchard said the health service will “come under intense pressure” when the virus peaks.

It said important measures are needed to “free up the maximum possible inpatient and critical care capacity; prepare for, and respond to, the anticipated large numbers of Covid-19 patients who will need respiratory support; and support staff, and maximise their availability”.

It comes as the NHS is seeking to free up 30,000 hospital beds across England to make way for an expected surge in coronavirus patients.

The proposals were laid out by Sir Simon who was called before the Health and Social Care Select Committee to give an update on his plans for handling the crisis.

"There is no health service in the world that would be able to [cope] if this virus was let rip"

However, when asked if he felt confident that the NHS had enough intensive care beds, Sir Simon said he would keep the situation “under review”.

Chair of the committee, Jeremy Hunt, noted that the most recent modelling suggested that 4 per cent of coronavirus cases would need a hospital bed, of which 30%would need an intensive care bed.

Sir Simon said: “There is no health service in the world that would be able to [cope] if this virus was let rip.”

Therefore, the social distancing measures revealed yesterday must take effect in order to reduce the peak pressure on the NHS, he added.

Sir Simon described current actions as “pulling out all the stops” to have as many staff, beds and facilities available for that peak.

“Frankly, we’re going to have to keep this under review and if it turns out that further measures are required in order to reduce the number of people who get this virus, then that will be something that policy-makers and government will have to consider," he added.