Responding to the latest NHS bed figures, NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said:

"We have been arguing for some time that the NHS is short of beds as we head into winter.

"This is in part due to enhanced infection control measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19 and ongoing staffing pressures, which can reduce hospital bed capacity by 10-20%.

"This is a real problem as trusts deal with pressures posed by the virus, growing demand for urgent and emergency care and the work to recover the backlog of routine operations.

"That is why the current lockdown restrictions are crucial in protecting that stretched capacity, so the NHS is able to provide care for everyone who needs it."