MORE than 750 coronavirus patients have been discharged from the University Hospitals Dorset and reunited with their families since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitals face continued pressure as Covid-19 remains prominent throughout the country.

However, UHD, responsible for the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, and Poole Hospital, said 761 people have been discharged after suffering from the virus.

At the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, 412 have been discharged, 349 have been discharged from Poole Hospital.

Dr Alyson O’Donnell, chief medical officer for UHD, said: “Amongst the sadness brought about by Covid-19 during the year, it has also been truly heartening to see how communities up and down the country have come together in support of the NHS.

“East Dorset has been no exception, and Covid-19 has been an incredible test of our systems and people, and I am immensely proud of the way in which we and the wider NHS has responded.

“While during the course of the year, 270 people with a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis sadly lost their lives in our hospitals, 761 people were returned to their homes and families to continue to recuperate.”

And Dr O’Donnell said the hospitals are in the “best place possible” to continue delivering care throughout a challenging winter.

She continued: “This winter, and our first as one hospital trust, we are in the best place possible to respond to both the existing and emerging challenges that lie ahead.

“Our teams are working together more closely than ever, making sure that our patients receive the best care possible.

“As a clinical leader I am immensely proud of the teams providing not only our frontline care, but those supporting them too and who may be less obvious.

“The experiences and events of this year have taught us that we can look ahead with confidence.

“We will shortly be joining the roll out of new Covid-19 vaccinations to make sure the most vulnerable among us are protected, and which will of course yield great benefits and I hope allow us to return to a sense of normality in due time.

“But for now, the public continues to have a vital role to play, by adhering to the very latest Government advice concerning Covid-19 and by using our A&E services only in an emergency.

“This will directly support each and every one of our teams working hard around the clock to provide services for the public when they are needed.”

As of December 22, the most recent date available, UHD’s hospitals had 107 Covid-19 patients, with eight requiring mechanical ventilation.

The peak for hospital occupancy at UHD, according to the NHS figures which run from August 1 up to December 22, remained November 23 when there were 121 patients in beds at the trust.