‘I feel I’m in a war zone – it’s not getting better’: Inside UK intensive care

The UK is at the worst point of this pandemic, say ministers – hospitals under sustained and growing pressure,  wards full of Covid patients, some having problems with oxygen supplies.

Boris Johnson warned “we have a really tough fight on our hands”, saying now was not the time to be complacent about following the lockdown rules.

In the last 24 hours there were 46,169 new cases. But the number of people in hospital with Covid is higher than ever – a quarter of them are under 55.

A further 529 deaths have sadly been reported. That takes the total to 81,960

The Department of Health says 2.6 million vaccine doses have been handed out to 2.3 million people.

But hospitals across the country are facing a desperate struggle to cope. We are at Epsom and St Helier Hospital in Surrey.