NHS delays life-saving transplant operations as coronavirus patients fill beds

Latest updates and essential advice from The Independent [View in browser]( [Alternate text] Daily briefing January 14, 2021 Today’s essential news from the source you trust This morning’s headlines Patients are [missing out on potentially life-saving organ transplant surgery]( because hospital intensive care beds are filled by coronavirus patients, The Independent has learnt. Major organ transplant centres in London, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, have been forced to close their doors to transplant cases because of a lack of beds, the increased risk to patients, and the need to redeploy doctors and nurses to the coronavirus front line. Hospitals across England had more than 32,600 Covid-19 patients on Wednesday, with NHS bosses warning that the numbers could continue to rise in some areas until the end of the month. A record 1,564 deaths linked to the coronavirus were reported on Wednesday and 47,525 new infections. The impact on organ transplant services follows hundreds of urgent cancer operations being delayed in London and across the country, as NHS trusts run out of spare beds to treat non-Covid patients. Most routine operations have also been stopped in the hardest-hit areas. The US House of Representatives has [impeached Donald Trump for fomenting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol]( on 6 January 2021, making him the first president in the nation’s history to be impeached twice. Every Democrat in the chamber voted for the lone impeachment article, which officially accuses the president of “incitement to insurrection”. Ten of the 211 House Republicans joined them. Wednesday’s ratified impeachment article now awaits transference to a Senate controlled for the next couple weeks by Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell. The landmark vote came after a day of speeches from lawmakers recounting the harrowing experiences they faced as the pro-Trump rioters ransacked the legislature a week ago. You can follow the latest on the situation in our [dedicated liveblog](. The Brexit trade agreement is [“pretty much unworkable”]( for UK supermarkets, MPs have been told, as problems mount in the nation’s food supply chains and gaps appear in fresh produce aisles. Boris Johnson’s Christmas Eve deal with the EU gave retailers and suppliers just hours to prepare for the final set of rules that were made public on 31 December. That has left supermarkets scrambling to deal with mountains of “impenetrable” administration. In some cases the time taken to complete paperwork on a lorry load of goods bound for the EU has increased from three hours to five days, the House of Commons Brexit committee heard. Andrew Opie, director of the British Retail Consortium, was scathing of the government’s last-minute delivery of the deal, which he said had resulted in shortages on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland. . We need your support The Independent employs over 100 journalists around the world to bring you news you can trust. Please consider showing your support with a contribution. [Contribute]( . Top stories [‘Test before travel’ plan in disarray as start date is postponed]( [How the Parler takedown dealt another blow to the British far right]( [PM backs fisheries minister ‘too busy’ to read Brexit trade deal]( . New Year. New perspective Save 40% when you subscribe to The Independent this January for unrivalled clarity on the issues that matter most. [Subscribe now]( . More news - [Activists slam 'sham trial' of Cambodia opposition members]( - [Vaccines and masks: Biden plan aims to break pandemic cycle]( - [NY Democrat's ties to Maduro may help Biden unlock stalemate]( - [NY Democrat's ties to Maduro may help Biden unlock stalemate]( - [WHO team arrives in Wuhan to search for pandemic origins]( . News you can trust The Independent has a 100% NewsGuard trust rating [NewsGuard] [Find out more]( . If you can spare two minutes we’d love to hear your [feedback]( on our newsletters [Alternate text] Join the conversation or follow us [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's News email. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent News email and Breaking News alerts, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.