Health Secretary Sajid Javid has admitted that the NHS faces a “rocky” few weeks ahead, as the number of staff unable to work rises to levels not seen since before vaccinations.

Two hundred military personnel are being deployed to London hospitals struggling to deliver care, while Northamptonshire has become the latest area to declare a major incident.

Across the UK another 179,000 new infections were reported today, with rising numbers of Covid patients being admitted – more people are now in hospital than at any time since February.

Covid: NHS faces ‘rocky’ weeks ahead as military deployed to struggling hospitals