INTENSIVE care capacity at Colchester Hospital has been doubled to cope with an increasing number of the sickest coronavirus patients, the hospital’s boss has said.

Nick Hulme, chief executive of the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust, said on the Jeremy Vine show there were now 45 patients in intensive care units at Colchester and Ipswich hospitals.

During the first peak of the virus back in April the number of patients in ICU only reached 33.

This means there are now 36 per cent more seriously ill Covid patients than during the first surge of the virus.

Mr Hulme said: “The numbers of our sickest and most vulnerable patients are significantly higher.

“The overall number of patients with Covid across both sites is 330. During the first wave this never got above 160.

“The indications are all there we are facing a major challenge in the health service, not just in the east but across the entire country.”

Mr Hulme admitted intensive care is always busy during the winter months, but said this year was significantly worse and the trust was seeing more younger patients than during April’s peak.

About 80 per cent of the people in ICU at both hospitals are now Covid patients.

He said: “Yes, intensive care wards are full at winter but this is 200 per cent what we would have described as full this time last year. We have doubled the size of intensive care and then some.”

A further 12 deaths of coronavirus patients were announced by the trust today. There have been a total of 586.

Mr Hulme said the actions of a group of “Covid deniers” who had to be removed from Colchester Hospital after taking pictures and posting them on social media were insulting to staff.

He said: “This isn’t a hoax. For the staff who are working harder than they have done in their entire careers, sacrificing time with their families and working additional hours, for them to see that on social media is both disheartening and insulting.”

Colchester’s coronavirus infection rate is now 734.3 cases per 100,000 people, with 1,430 new cases being confirmed in the week to December 31.

Tendring’s infection rate is 733.5 cases per 100,000 people.

Health services across north Essex are at breaking point, with the Essex Resilience Forum declaring a major incident.

Anglia Community Enterprise has been forced to shut Fryatt Hospital in Dovercourt’s minor injuries unit due to staff sickness and as some staff from that unit have been sent elsewhere.

Some elective surgery has been cancelled as medics struggle to cope with the surge of Covid patients.

However, Jan Ingle, deputy director of communications and engagement for the hospital trust, said surgery would still be offered to those who need it most.

She said: “We are not cancelling all elective care. We are continuing to carry out surgery for people who need it most and continuing cancer surgery.”