HEALTH chiefs have doubled critical care beds across three hospitals to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

East Sussex Healthcare Trust aims to increase critical care beds five-fold across Eastbourne General Hospital, Bexhill Hospital, and Conquest Hospital in St Leonard’s.

Chief executive Dr Adrian Bull said critical care capacity has already been doubled at the hospitals.

"The levels of innovation and change we have seen over the last two weeks are astounding," he said.

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"In many areas we have made twelve months’ progress in twelve days.

"Members of staff are adapting to constant change and challenging many commonly held assumptions."

Trust chiefs have cancelled all “non-urgent” operations, moved their chemotherapy unit to East Sussex College in Eastbourne, and suspended its home birth service to free resources to tackle the outbreak.

All expectant mothers will have to deliver at the Conquest Hospital’s obstetric unit.

Meanwhile “discharge hubs” have been set up across the area to ensure fit patients are sent home.

Dr Bull said it was a “worrying time” but assured people his hospitals were ready to tackle the virus.

"I see colleagues across the organisation working hard to make sure we continue to provide the best care possible for our patients in new and different ways," he said.

Two coronavirus patients have died in Eastbourne General Hospital since the outbreak began.

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