150 Addenbrooke's Hospital staff employed by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were off sick or self-isolating due to Covid-19 last Friday.

The figure is contrary to the significantly higher number that has been reported elsewhere.

A Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: "The figures reported elsewhere are not accurate – certainly for staff absent, it’s way off.

"Towards the end of last week, the number was around 150."

The spokesman added that, on Thursday October 28, the total number of staff off sick was 408, with 162 potentially Covid-related.

The spokesman added that, as of today, 101 beds are currently closed or empty due to infection protection control and that there are 56 Covid patients being cared for in the hospital currently, with eight in critical care.

It comes a week after Jan Thomas, accountable officer at NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG, said Addenbrooke’s is at 100 per cent occupancy.

She said: “Staff are not only unwell, but also there is a level of fatigue, which means that filling of additional shifts and people doing work on top of their usual work to support those times of surge is more difficult.”

It comes as the Government designated Cambridgeshire and Peterborough a Coronavirus Enhanced Response Area (ERA).

The trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge, employs over 11,000 people.