THE number of coronavirus patients being cared for in Dorset hospitals has been revealed.

Latest figures show that 86 patients were being treated across Dorset's three hospital trusts as of Tuesday this week.

NHS England data shows 25 coronavirus patients were being cared for at Dorset County Hospital at 8am on February 23 - down from 29 on the same day the previous week.

It means the number of beds at DCH occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 has decreased by 69 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 80.

The figures also show that 16 new Covid patients were admitted to DCH in the week to February 21. This was down from 26 in the previous seven days.

Meanwhile 50 patients were being cared for at University Hospitals Dorset Trust at the most recent count on Tuesday - down from 143 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 decreased by 87 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 378.

The figures also show that 76 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust in the week to February 21. This was down from 133 in the previous seven days.

Elsewhere at another Trust, Dorset Healthcare University Trust,11 coronavirus patients were being cared for within the same time frame.

NHS England data shows the number of people being treated at that Trust for Covid-19 by 8am on February 23 was down from 22 on the same day the previous week.

The number of beds at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust occupied by people who tested positive for Covid-19 decreased by 86 per cent in the last four weeks – 28 days ago, there were 79.

The figures also show that 17 new Covid patients were admitted to hospital in Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust in the week to February 21.

This was up from 10 in the previous seven days.

Across England there were 13,511 people in hospital with Covid as of February 23, with 1,956 of them in mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised nationally has decreased by 58 per cent in the last four weeks, while the number on mechanical ventilators has decreased by 46 per cent.