THE number of patients being treated for coronavirus at Basingstoke hospital has fallen.

Last month, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital was caring for around 39 people who were battling the disease.

Now, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said they currently have just nine patients being treated for the illness at Basingstoke hospital. 

This is the lowest level of coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic. 

The news comes after the Gazette spoke to an NHS support worker who revealed that Covid-19 cases had “drastically dropped” at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in the last month.

A HHFT spokesperson confirmed: “Over the last couple of weeks it has been a real encouragement to see the number of people who test positive for coronavirus, and are unwell enough to need hospital care, continue to fall.

"Our staff have done a tremendous job in unprecedented circumstances, and we thank them all for everything they continue to do to provide expert, compassionate care to all of our patients.”

Many support workers assist healthcare professionals in the delivery of patient care. They work with an individual practitioner or a team, taking on some of the more routine tasks such as welcoming and preparing patients, explaining treatment, and updating patient records, according to the NHS website.

Richard Stevens, 60, an NHS support worker from Basingstoke, told the Gazette: “This is a huge change in comparison to what NHS workers were seeing at the start of the pandemic.

“When I walk around shops, less people are wearing masks as lockdown is beginning to ease.

“And although we are seeing shoppers stick to social distancing, the atmosphere in Basingstoke is much more relaxed compared to the anxiety at the start of the pandemic.

“The virus is being kept under control as seen by the figures which show a massive drop in the patients who are contracting Covid-19."

The drop in coronavirus cases also comes after it was reported that Basingstoke has the highest rate of infections with 405 cases per every 100,000 residents.

That is higher than Hampshire’s overall average of 240.6 cases per 100,000 residents.