Leeds cancer patient's surgery delayed due to hospitals being "heavily affected" by Covid-19, MP says

Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford MP Yvette Cooper said she had been contacted by the person in question.

In a statement primarily about capacity issues at hospitals in her own constituency, Ms Cooper said Leeds hospitals were also "heavily affected" by the coronavirus pandemic.

Posting on Facebook, she said: "Staff are very worried about rising cases and about the impact on care for other patients across the NHS too.

"Please take Covid seriously. I know that everyone is tired of things after a really difficult year, and it would have been far better if it hadn’t reached this point, but we all need to do our bit to support our NHS right now.

"We need our NHS to be there for all of us and our families whenever we need it and that means preventing Covid escalating out of control.

"Once again NHS and care staff are on the frontline in dealing with Covid.

"Time to support them and to thank them for the incredible work they do."

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's last public update, on October 27, stated that there were more Covid patients in Leeds Hospitals than at the peak of the pandemic.

The trust said at the time that there were 263 patients currently in their beds who have tested positive for Covid - including 22 in intensive care.

Managers said the pressure on beds had become "far greater than in the first wave".