NHS staff absences doubled last week in London
The absences have seen three hospitals at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust start to cancel outpatient and non-clinically urgent operations this month, and 15 other major hospitals across Imperial, Barts and Guys and St Thomas trusts warning of cancellations in the new year.
Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT-1 programme, which monitors Covid-19 infection levels, said the NHS could still be under huge pressure despite the possibility the Omicron variant may cause milder disease.Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the NHS was facing its busiest Christmas period ever, with bed occupancy rates 5% higher than last year, adding the service was preparing to expand capacity in case a "surge" of healthcare was needed.
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