TWO patients have died under the care of a mental health trust after they tested positive for coronavirus.

The Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust - which runs sites including West Park Hospital in Darlington and Roseberry Park Hospital in Middlesbrough - reported the two deaths on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4.

A spokesperson for the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust said: “Sadly, we can confirm that two patients who were being cared for by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, and had tested positive for COVID-19, have died.

"The families have been informed and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time. We will not be commenting further and ask that everybody respects the privacy of the families.”

Although the details of the two patients and hospitals were not released, the figures came as NHS England reported that a total of 286 people across the North-East and North Yorkshire had died since the outbreak began.

A spokesperson for NHS England said: "A further 403 people, who tested positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 4,897.

"Patients were aged between 35 and 106 years old.  15 of the 403 patients (aged between 52 and 94 years old) had no known underlying health condition. Their families have been informed."

As of Sunday (April 5), the total number of patient deaths recorded by each trust are: 

  • County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust - 38
  • Gateshead Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - 13
  • Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust - 38
  • North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust - 14 
  • South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 49
  • South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust - 68
  • Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 30
  • York Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - 21
  • Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust - 13
  • Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust - 2