Media Release

COVID-19 patient discharges from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn reach 200

Two hundred patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 have now been discharged from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, according to figures released by the Trust today.

The milestone was welcomed by the hospital’s Medical Director Dr Frankie Swords who praised staff who have treated 390 confirmed cases in the past two months.

Dr Swords said: “Since mid-March, teams across the Trust have been working tirelessly in challenging circumstances to care for our COVID-19 patients.

“The response from staff has been fantastic. We transformed our hospital into COVID and non-COVID zones, creating separate Emergency Departments, critical care units and wards to cope with expected demand and keep all our patients and staff safe.

“I am delighted to say we have now been able to discharge 200 patients, which I am sure will be a real boost for staff.

“Data from both Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics suggest the number of cases in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk is among the highest in England. While our colleagues in public health are trying to establish the causes for this, we are focusing on caring for the all our patients from West Norfolk and parts of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.

Dr Swords said: “The pandemic’s full impact would not be known for some time but it is fantastic news that we have been able to discharge so many COVID-positive patients. The first peak is now behind us and, over the next few weeks, we are focusing on how best to reopen all of the services which have been affected by the pandemic.”