The UK Health Ministry has announced plans to start human trials of a coronavirus vaccine on Thursday.

Key points: The Health Minister said he had freed up an extra $39 million in funding for the trials

The Health Minister said he had freed up an extra $39 million in funding for the trials Oxford University will begin testing the vaccine in humans this week

Oxford University will begin testing the vaccine in humans this week The coronavirus death toll in the UK is 17,337

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday the COVID-19 vaccine was being developed by scientists at Oxford University and a separate team at Imperial College in London.

"Both of these promising projects are making rapid progress, and I've told the scientists leading them that we'll do everything in our power to support," Mr Hancock said during Downing Street's daily press conference.

The Health Minister said he had freed up an extra 20 million pounds ($39 million) of funding to both projects, and the Oxford group, led by Professor Sarah Gilbert, would begin testing the vaccine in humans this week, with production potentially starting before the trial was complete.

"In normal times, reaching this stage would take years, and I'm very proud of the work taken so far," Mr Hancock said.

"At the same time, we'll invest in manufacturing capability, so if either of these vaccines safely works, then we can make it available for the British people as soon as humanly possible."

Mr Hancock conceded it was "uncertain science" but said he was confident the UK would throw "everything we've got at developing a vaccine".

True UK death toll much higher, data suggests

In the most recent 24-hour reporting period, 828 people died in hospitals from coronavirus in the UK. ( AP: Kirsty Wigglesworth )

While news of clinical trials will be a welcome relief for British authorities, the UK remains on track to be one of the worst-hit countries in Europe, with a further 823 people dying in hospitals in the past 24-hour reporting period.

The UK currently sits behind Italy, Spain and France in the total number of coronavirus deaths in Europe, with 17,337, but it also imposed a lockdown later than all three.

It was also revealed on Tuesday the true death toll in the UK could be up to 40 per cent higher than the Government's daily figures as indicated earlier this month.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which records all deaths including those in care homes and hospitals, reported 13,121 deaths from the new coronavirus by April 10 in England and Wales.

The Government's daily toll, which includes only hospital deaths, was 9,288 by that date.

"The sharp rise in care-home deaths is deeply alarming — this could be the second front in the battle against COVID-19," said Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector.

About 84 per cent of COVID-19 deaths have taken place in hospitals, with the remainder in care homes, private residences and hospices, the ONS said.

But Mr Hancock tried to downplay the ONS figures, telling the daily news conference the 40 per cent figure was "not an accurate representation of those figures".

"[There are] important differences between how we measure deaths in hospitals — we can get that data daily, and so it's incredibly important for tracking as soon as possible what's happening in terms of the impact of this disease — with the ONS data, which is measured in a different way," he said.