FEWER patients were admitted to Dorset hospitals with coronavirus in the week up to December 27 compared to the previous seven days.

Across Dorset hospitals, 75 people were admitted with Covid-19 in this period, according to the latest statistics released by NHS England.

Of these 75, 51 were admitted to the University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) sites, including 17 on December 26.

UHD oversees Royal Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Hospitals.

Thirteen people were admitted to the Dorset County Hospital with coronavirus in the seven-day period.

Eleven people were admitted to the Dorset Healthcare Trust, including six on December 17.

In the seven days up to December 20, 102 coronavirus patients were admitted to Dorset hospitals.

As of December 29, the most recent date available, UHD's sites had 99 Covid-19 patients, with seven of them requiring mechanical ventilation.

The Dorset Healthcare Trust had 20 beds occupied by patients with coronavirus, none on mechanical ventilation.

Sixteen people with coronavirus were occupying beds at Dorset County Hospital - the most since figures were published on Covid hospital bed occupancy in August. Two of these patients were requiring mechanical ventilation.

The peak for hospital occupancy at UHD, according to the NHS figures which run from August 1 up to December 29, remained November 23 when there were 121 patients in beds at the trust's sites with Covid-19.

Across the latest seven-day period, this figure was below 100 for four days and had a high of 106 on December 28.