dr hilary jones on lorraine
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ITV issued warning by Ofcom over complaints against Lorraine due to Dr Hilary Jones’ remarks

ITV's resident doctor incorrectly labelled recent Covid-19 figures

Ofcom says it has given ITV a warning over Dr Hilary Jones’ appearance on Lorraine.

Ofcom received 3,833 complaints after Dr Hilary incorrectly said 90% of the Covid-19 patients in the hospital were unvaccinated.

The figure he described was actually applicable to those who were in intensive care at the time.

He made the claim during an appearance on Lorraine on December 6.

dr hilary jones on lorraine
Dr Hilary Jones made incorrect remarks on Lorraine (Credit: ITV)

Actor Martin Kemp also gave out the inaccurate statistic on the show the following day.

It then took two days for ITV to air a clarification regarding the figures Dr Hilary discussed with viewers.

Ofcom warns ITV over Dr Hilary Jones remarks

Ofcom has now revealed that it will not be investigating the remarks made.

However, it says it has given the broadcaster a warning to “take greater care” in the future.

Read more: Lorraine Kelly laughs off Adil Ray’s remark about her ‘fitness’ on GMB

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “This programme incorrectly referenced the proportion of unvaccinated Covid-19 patients in hospital.

“We have told ITV that greater care should be taken by trusted medical experts when presenting facts and figures on public health issues.

“However, given official statistics and research have consistently shown that vaccination against Covid-19 offers greater protection against serious health consequences, we do not consider that the error was sufficient to materially mislead viewers on this main point of discussion.”

dr hilary jones
Viewers criticised Dr Hilary over his remarks (Credit: ITV)

According to the BBC, around 40% of people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in the last three weeks of December were unvaccinated.

However, the figure only covers hospital admissions rather than the length of stay.

As a result, the figure cannot be accurately used as evidence to suggest whether those who are unvaccinated are getting sicker or not.

Meanwhile, Dr Hilary’s viewers on the Covid-19 jab continue to anger anti-vaxxers.

Read more: Lorraine Kelly hits back at anti-vax trolls with defiant message

In response to their backlash, he told The Sun: “You’re always going to get a few people who aren’t in favour of what you say. But by and large the message I have are all very favourable.

“Of course, you’ll get detractors. But nothing’s mandatory so people can make their own choices. My view is to give my comments according to what scientifically I think is a responsible way forward.”

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