LEIGHTON Hospital’s trust has reported its 400th patient death from coronavirus.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reported nine new deaths from Covid-19 in figures released by NHS England today, January 26.

Three of those patients died yesterday while six died on Sunday, January 24.

East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs Macclesfield Hospital, has also reported seven new deaths from coronavirus today – taking the trust’s total number of Covid deaths to 250.

All seven patients died last week – with three deaths last Thursday, two last Wednesday, one last Tuesday and one last Monday.

No new deaths from coronavirus were reported by the Countess of Chester NHS Trust today, where the total stands at 466 since the pandemic began.

All three hospitals have seen their number of Covid patient deaths increase quicker over the past month than at any other time since the first peak came to an end last spring.

The Countess has reported 113 deaths from coronavirus so far in 2021, while Mid Cheshire Hospitals has reported 85 and East Cheshire Trust has reported 51.

Only deaths that occur in hospitals where the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 are recorded by NHS England – with deaths in the community excluded, such as those in care homes.

The patients’ families have been informed.