HAMPSHIRE hospitals have taken in 250 further patients in the past week who are suffering with Covid-19, government figures shows.

This means there are currently 849 patients with coronavirus lying in hospital beds across the county.

Of those, 74 are in mechanical ventilation (MV) beds which are equipped with pumps to help them to breath.

It comes as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Hampshire since the start of the pandemic has now surpassed 1,000, with a further 18 across the county recorded yesterday.

In the latest figures released from the government, which show data in the seven-day period up to January 5, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust was recorded as having 183 Covid patients currently occupying beds.

This is a rise of 73 since December 29.

The trust noted it was treating 39 patients in MV beds.

The figures also showed that staff are treating a further 693 non-Covid patients, whom are all occupying beds.

Across the county in Portsmouth, the city's trust recorded 457 patients currently in its hospitals.

This is a rise of 115 in the seven-day period.

Of those, 28 are using MV beds.

The figures also showed that 445 non-Covid patients were occupying beds across the trust.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded 165 Covid-19 patients in its hospitals.

This is a rise of 62 since December 29.

The figures showed that, of those, seven are occupying MV beds.

As well as this, the trust says that beds are being used by 470 non-Covid patients.

One of the other two trusts in the county, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, recorded 31 Covid patients in beds across its hospitals.

This is a rise of five during the seven days up to January 5.

At Solent NHS Foundation Trust, staff were currently treating 13 patients with Covid.

This was a drop of five since December 29.

The Government also confirmed that no Covid patients at either of those two trusts were occupying MV beds,

However, it was not able to provide information on how many beds were occupied by non-Covid patients at these two trusts.