COVID-19 timeline (October 2020 – May 2021)

OCTOBER 2020

6 October

Trust leaders make preparations to deal with any second wave of the virus and encourage staff to get the flu jab – particularly as the risk to health is far greater in people who contract both flu and COVID-19.

14 October

A new three-tier system of COVID-19 restrictions starts in England.  

The number of COVID-19 patients at Royal Brompton Hospital begins to rise in early October and reaches 10 by 14 October.

23 October

Patients are given more guidance about the measures the Trust is taking to protect them during hospital visits for appointments, tests or procedures. Three members of our clinical teams feature in a new video on our website which explains what patients should expect during visits.

27 October

Engineering and medical specialists at Royal Brompton Hospital publicise how a ‘simple’ modification of domiciliary (i.e. designed for use at home) non-invasive ventilators could significantly reduce oxygen consumption by hospitals treating COVID-19-related respiratory failure.

NOVEMBER 2020

5 November

Second national lockdown comes into force in England to prevent a “medical and moral disaster” for the NHS and soon after the UK becomes the first country in Europe to pass 50,000 COVID-19 deaths.

12 November

COVID-19 cases rise in North West London and teams at the Trust are now caring for 14 patients who have the virus. Staff continue to provide specialist care to patients with other heart and lung conditions.

24 November

The Prime Minister announces up to three households will be able to meet up during a five-day Christmas period of 23 to 27 December.

27 November

Asymptomatic self-testing for COVID-19 is now available to staff who are given home testing kits and asked to do tests twice a week.

DECEMBER 2020

1 December

The number of patients with COVID-19 rises to 16 at Royal Brompton by the end of November and in early December more patients with the virus start to arrive at our hospitals.

2 December

Second lockdown ends after four weeks and England returns to a stricter three-tier system of restrictions.  

On the same day, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, making the UK the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccination.

19 December

The Prime Minister announces tougher restrictions for London and South East England, with a new Tier 4: ‘Stay at Home’ alert level and cancels Christmas for almost 18 million people after scientists warn of the rapid spread of a new variant.

29 December

Dr Richard Grocott-Mason, the Trust’s interim chief executive, tells staff that the number of patients needing our specialist care is increasing as the second wave escalates.

JANUARY 2021

4 January

The Prime Minister announces new national lockdown measures for England due to the spread of a new variant that he describes as “both frustrating and alarming”.

The Trust is significantly increasing its critical care capacity at both sites. There are 50 patients with COVID-19 currently receiving treatment at the Trust – 22 at Royal Brompton Hospital and 28 at Harefield Hospital. The paediatric intensive care unit remains open during the second wave.

6 January

England enters third national lockdown.

8 January

The Trust has increased its critical care capacity once more from 42 beds across both sites to 80 beds. Staff vaccinations start.

14 January

Teams at the Trust prepare to provide ‘super surge’ capacity by providing a total of 96 critical care beds by 18 January.

Government figures show that more than 100,000 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test in the UK.

22 January

Our COVID-19 patient numbers peak in late January with 82 critically ill patients: 41 at Royal Brompton Hospital and 41 at Harefield Hospital.

FEBRUARY 2021

In February, the Prime Minister reveals his long-anticipated roadmap out of lockdown. The pandemic continues.

MARCH – MAY 2021

The next few months would begin to see a significant shift in the national picture of COVID-19.  

Across our hospitals, the number of critically ill COVID-19 patients started to fall steadily and by the end of March the total figure stood at 20. By the middle of May, this figure dipped to single digits – a level not seen in almost a year.  

While staff continued their response to COVID-19, non-urgent care and planned procedures increased – with some activity resembling normal levels and critical care almost back to normal service. Meanwhile, the Trust’s COVID-19 vaccination programme continued at pace, with 90 per cent of staff receiving both doses, marking a vital step in the fight against COVID-19.


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The continuing challenge of COVID-19: The second wave >