London coronavirus crisis: Hospitals facing 'continuous tsunami' of patients - NHS warning LONDON hospitals are facing a "continuous tsunami" of seriously-ill patients because of the coronavirus pandemic, an NHS boss has warned.

The NHS is already struggling to cope with the coronavirus crisis, a health service leader has claimed. Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which prevents NHS trusts, said hospitals are experiencing an "explosion of demand". He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "They [London hospitals] are struggling with two things. The first is the explosion of demand they are seeing in seriously ill patients."They talk about wave after wave after wave - the word that’s often used to me is a continuous tsunami."So what we have got is a really wicked combination - trusts trying to deal with a lot more demand than they have ever had before with a lot fewer staff than they have had before."

Mr Hopson also said hospital bosses were concerned beds will be used up "very, very quickly", even with the extra capacity being brought in.

"We are now seeing 30 percent, 40 percent and indeed in some places 50 percent sickness rates as staff catch the virus or are in vulnerable groups or have to self-isolate. That’s an unprecedented absence rate.