Four NHS trusts declare critical incidents over high demand
Christian FullerSouth East
PA MediaFour NHS hospital trusts have declared critical incidents due to “ongoing significant pressure” on their services.
NHS Surrey Heartlands said rising cases of flu and norovirus, as well as a rise in staff illnesses, were making the situation worse.
Critical incidents in Surrey affect Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust also declared a critical incident at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate due to “sustained pressures”.
NHS Surrey Heartlands said the critical incidents were a result of increased intensive care for A&E departments and ongoing difficulties in discharging patients who were well enough to leave hospital.
It was stated that the recent cold weather also had an impact on services and weaker patients had to be admitted to the hospital.
Rescheduled operations and appointments
NHS Surrey Heartlands joint chief medical officer Dr Charlotte Canniff said declaring a critical incident allowed trusts to take additional steps to maintain safe services to patients and “help us cope with increasing pressures”.
“Unfortunately, this means local facilities may need to reschedule some non-emergency surgeries, treatments and outpatient appointments to accommodate patients with the most urgent clinical needs,” he said.
“People should attend appointments unless they are contacted; our cancer and other most urgent surgeries remain a priority.”
The trust said its hospitals in Kent were experiencing “extraordinarily high demand due to a continuing high admission rate and large numbers of patients with winter illnesses and respiratory viruses”.
“The beds in our hospitals are currently full and attendance at our emergency departments is extremely high, meaning that the capacity to accept additional patients needing acute care is very limited,” the statement said.
“Contacting our emergency department in non-life-threatening situations will result in a very long waiting time. If you need medical assistance, please consider using alternative services.”
Which hospitals were affected?
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust operates hospitals including the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Haslemere Hospital, Milford Hospital, Cranleigh Village Hospital, Royal Surrey Cancer Center and the Royal Surrey Cancer Center in East Surrey and Ashford.
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust operates hospitals including Epsom Hospital, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton Hospital and Woking Community Hospital.
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust operates hospitals and clinics including East Surrey Hospital, Horsham Hospital, Dorking Clinic, Horley Health Clinic and Lingfield Clinic.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust operates hospitals including Buckland Hospital, Medway Hospital, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Victoria Hospital in Deal and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.
