Covid-19: Vaccine rollout widens as hospital pressure rises



GPs in England are receiving doses of the Oxford Covid jab as medics warn about overstretched hospitals.

The rollout of the Oxford vaccine is part of the NHS's biggest-ever effort and aims to offer jabs to 13 million by mid-February - including all over-80s.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted vaccine supply was a "rate-limiting" factor.

Birmingham's NHS said there are enough supplies with more to come as politicians warned doses may run out.

Some hospitals in England are at risk of becoming Covid-only sites, with rising admissions for the virus forcing trusts to cut back on other services.

And hospital leaders have warned medics are becoming increasingly stretched with "untrained staff" used to fill gaps.

It came as a further 1,162 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Thursday - the second consecutive day of more than 1,000 recorded fatalities - and 52,618 new cases.

The latest NHS statistics also show that there were 30,370 patients with Covid in UK hospitals on Tuesday.

The rollout of the Oxford vaccine to GPs will help increase vaccinations among the top four priority groups who are first in line to receive doses.

The Department of Health said 1.3 million people in the UK, including almost a quarter of those aged over 80 in England, have received at least one dose so far.

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