MORE than 250 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been discharged by the Trust that runs Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester hospitals.

Figures from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) revealed that as of 9am Wednesday, 278 people who tested positive with coronavirus have now been discharged.

The numbers are for those patients who have been successfully treated and discharged home by the Trust.

A further 348 patients were sent home by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS), as of 5pm on Friday, meaning more than 600 patients across the county have now been discharged.

It comes as HHFT confirmed on Friday that four NHS staff who were being treated in hospital for coronavirus have been discharged.

The Trust reported last week that there were six staff members being looked after in hospital after testing positive for the virus.

And as of Tuesday, April 29, that number has fallen to two, with the other four being discharged.

They confirmed that as of the same day, there were 521 staff members who have tested positive for the virus, out of the nearly 8,500 staff members across the three sites, up from 400 last Friday.

And another 31 are self-isolating because of Covid-19.

However, the Trust had confirmed that thankfully they had not had any staff members pass away after testing positive for the virus.

Dr Lara Alloway, chief medical officer at Hampshire Hospitals, told the Gazette: “All of our staff are well aware of and following the national guidelines, which were designed to keep everybody safe and are reducing the spread of the virus.

"Our staff are doing a fantastic job at what is a very difficult time and I am very proud to be a member of such a brilliant team.”

It comes after it was confirmed this week that more than 100 NHS staff across the country have passed away after contracting the virus they were trying to help treat.