A TOTAL of 47 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from Dorset hospitals since the beginning of this year.

As of Thursday, January 21, 47 patients who contracted coronavirus have been discharged from University Hospitals Dorset's hospitals since the start of the year.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 761 people have been discharged after suffering from Covid-19 across all of UHD's hospitals.

During this time, 412 patients have been discharged from Royal Bournemouth Hospital and 349 have been discharged from Poole Hospital.

Chief medical officer for University Hospitals Dorset, Dr Alyson O’Donnell said: "Our teams are working together more closely than ever, making sure our patients receive the best care possible, and we continue to work with our health and social care partners to safely discharge patients recovering from Covid-19, helping us maintain hospital capacity for those who continue to need our care."

University Hospitals Dorset is also looking for volunteers to help at its hospitals amid the pandemic.

Meet and Greet volunteers, Vaccination Support volunteers and Safety Guardian volunteers are required, with each role offering support in various ways to hospital staff.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, email: proudto.volunteer@uhd.nhs.uk

The total number of Covid-19 patients in UHD hospitals currently stands at 380, but it is an ever fluctuating figure.