KINGSTON Hospital has spent at least £22.7 million on Covid-19 related costs since the pandemic began, new data has revealed.

Coronavirus has hit the trust hard with around 2,777 Covid patients admitted to wards since the pandemic began and 27 being treated as of mid-September, according to the latest government dashboard figures.

Between March 2020 and March this year, the trust’s costs totalled £367.1 million, a rise of £51 million on the previous year.

It was revealed in the trust’s annual report that £14.2 million of this was forked out on Covid-related staff costs while a further £8.5 million was spent on other coronavirus costs.

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The NHS trust also warned that income lost as a result of Covid and the costs of Covid-related care were “significantly higher”.

But it also received £26.9 million in Covid care funding, as well as £4.7 million worth of PPE.

March 2021 saw the trust receive 16 per cent higher income than the year before to help with funding for these additional coronavirus costs.

The document says: “The pandemic, which commenced in March 2020, has presented significant challenges to the NHS and especially to provider organisations.

“In response to the unprecedented demands upon the service, the trust has received Covid-related income during 2020-21 totalling £26.9m.

“In addition, centrally-procured and centrally-issued PPE (personal protective equipment) worth £4.7m was provided to the trust.”

Kingston Hospital has been contacted for comment.

Previously, the 18-week backlog at Kingston Hospital fell from 4,873 to 3,098 between April and July, and the non-18 week backlog dropped from 3,500 to 2,600 patients – still leaving thousands untreated.

But the number of patients waiting over 52 weeks for hospital treatment at the trust also fell from 227 to 71 between April and July this year.