Derbyniadau i ysbytai oherwydd COVID

1 February 2022

Dear 

ATISN 15935

Thank you for your request which I received on 7 January 2022. You asked for:

1. The number of people currently in hospital in Wales where COVID is the main cause v figures on the same date in November and December.

Data on COVID-19 hospitalisations in Wales are published in the NHS hospitalisations by date and patient type table on StatsWales. As at 10 January 2022 there were a total of 1,131 people in hospitals in Wales with COVID-19. This comprised 889 people with confirmed COVID-19, 61 with suspected COVID-19 and 181 patients recovering from COVID-19. On 10 December 2021, there were 560 people in hospital with COVID-19 in Wales, of which 318 were confirmed cases, 43 were suspected and 199 were recovering. On 10 November 2021, there were 805 people in hospital with COVID-19, of which 550 were confirmed cases, 32 were suspected and 223 were recovering. 

Data splitting out the number of hospitalisations by those where COVID-19 is or is not the main cause are not available for this period. However, we have recently published data giving the number and proportion of inpatients with confirmed COVID-19 in acute hospitals who are ‘actively being treated for COVID-19’. As at 25 January 2022 there were 182 beds in acute hospitals occupied with patients actively treated for COVID-19, representing 42% of patients with confirmed COVID-19.

2. A breakdown of the above based on vaccinated v unvaccinated status

These data are not available split by vaccination status on a daily basis. However, the Public Health Wales report Surveillance of vaccine status in confirmed COVID-19 episodes and hospital inpatients provides a snapshot of information for early December 2021. On 2 December, there were 544 COVID-19 hospital inpatients, of which 90 were unvaccinated, 19 had received one dose only, 414 had received two doses and 21 had unknown vaccine status.

3. The reasoning the Welsh Government have taken to shut sporting grounds to fans

Wales moved to alert level 2 on 26 December 2021 in response to the serious emerging threat from the omicron variant. Alert level 2 measures for regulated premises and events were introduced, drawing on the alert levels set out in the Coronavirus Control Plans. Those protections included placing limits on the number of people that could gather in regulated premises and events such as attending sports venues.

Throughout the pandemic the Welsh Government approach has been informed by the latest available scientific and medical advice. The Technical Advisory Cell (TAC) provides coordination of scientific and technical advice to support Welsh Government decision makers during emergencies. 

TAC advice to Cabinet on 15 December identified a high likelihood of a period of critical pressure on the NHS, social care and society comparable to or higher than Winter 2020/21, driven by a significant wave of omicron infections. 

This was supplemented by additional scientific evidence and modelling on 17 December to further inform the level of protections that were eventually put in place.   

Various statements have been made and published further explaining the reasoning behind these changes. For example an oral statement by the First Minister in the Senedd, and a published statement by the Chief Medical Officer for Wales.  

4. The numbers, per population that Wales has of hospitalised people with covid as main cause v England where no restrictions are present.

As described, data on patients with COVID-19 as the ‘main cause’ are not available for earlier period in Wales, however new data show there were 182 beds in acute hospitals occupied with patients being ‘actively treated for COVID-19’ on 25 January. This is equivalent to 5.7 out of every 100 thousand people in Wales. Data for England show that on 25 January there were 6,256 people being treated ‘primarily for COVID-19’, equivalent to 11.1 per 100 thousand people.

5. Given COVID passports were already in place at sporting events, the number of suspected cases caused as a result. 

It is not possible to establish exactly where someone caught COVID-19, therefore it is not possible to provide the number of cases that were caught in specific venues.

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at: 

Information Rights Unit 
Welsh Government
Cathays Park 
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ 

or e-mail: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.    

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk       

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely