UNDER-PRESSURE doctors and nurses are battling an unprecedented challenge which will only be eased by the actions of individual households, a hospital boss has warned.

Nick Hulme, chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust, had anticipated a post-Christmas surge in coronavirus cases.

But with the identification of a new, more infectious strain in the south east, the rise has been more rapid than predicted.

The trust, which runs both Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals, is dealing with around 50 per cent more cases than during the first wave of the virus in April.

Mr Hulme said cases had “effectively doubled” at Colchester Hospital in recent days, with 110 Covid-19 patients on the wards and nine in intensive care.

“We are certainly feeling the pressure,” said Mr Hulme.

“I always knew we would in the immediate post-Christmas period, but a combination of more pressure on both hospitals is coupled with an increase in staff sickness.

“When the number of people in the community with Covid increases, that will include some staff.

“It has become more challenging to fill shifts at the moment.

“Everyone is safe, but it is extremely tight in terms of juggling all our services.

“Things are a little bit worse than anticipated, and that comes with the new strain, but we hadn’t expected how quickly numbers would go up.

“We have made decisions about elective care, some procedures we have had to postpone and we are not quite sure when we will be able to book those patients back in.”

Mr Hulme said the trust taking on patients from hospitals elsewhere in Essex is “not a problem”, describing it as an important strand to the way the NHS operates.

But he did not shy away from highlighting the pressures faced across north Essex.

“I’ve been in the health service for 30-odd years," he said.

“I haven’t seen a situation as challenging as the one we’re facing at the moment.”

He also urged caution over a premature public relaxation around the following of Tier 4 guidance.

“It will be several months before we have sufficient people vaccinated,” he said.

“People need to do everything they can not to relax their behaviour.

“It is what we do here, now, today that will release some of the pressure on the health service.

“Waiting lists are getting larger and larger.

“People are waiting longer and longer – often in pain.

“The best way to make a difference is to stick to the rules, to stay inside, and the Tier 4 rules are very clear, only to leave home when it is absolutely essential.”

The Covid-19 infection rate in Colchester has risen again with more than 800 residents testing positive within a week.

According to the latest figures Colchester’s infection rate is now 419.1 cases per 100,000 people with 816 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the borough between December 17 and December 24. This is up from 402.1 cases per 100,000 the day before.