A surge in flu and norovirus cases, combined with staff sickness and cold weather conditions, has prompted four NHS hospital trusts to declare critical incidents
Four hospital trusts have declared critical incidents due to “significant and sustained pressures” in their services.
An increase in flu and norovirus cases, combined with staff sickness, has contributed to exacerbating the situation. NHS Surrey Heartlands said the recent cold weather conditions also led more patients to seek medical attention.
Three trusts in Surrey – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust – have declared critical incidents. Due to “sustained pressures” at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has also declared a critical incident.
Surrey Heartlands said in a statement: “Due to significant ongoing pressure, alongside the need to act swiftly to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high quality care, three Surrey hospital trusts have declared ‘critical incidents’ as frontline teams work hard to manage the demand they are seeing. The critical incidents – which reflect a level of NHS escalation that enables trusts to focus on critical services – is a result of a surge in complex attendances to A&E departments and ongoing challenges in discharging patients who are well enough to leave hospital.
“The current situation is exacerbated by increases in flu and norovirus cases and an increase in staff sickness. The recent cold weather front has also impacted on more frail patients needing to be admitted to hospital.
Due to the extreme pressures being faced by the three acute trusts in the county – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust – NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB has also declared a critical incident in order to provide support and co-ordination to trusts as they work to ensure critical services are maintained.”
Dr Charlotte Canniff, Joint Chief Medical Officer of NHS Surrey Heartlands, said: “Due to extreme pressures, today hospitals and the ICB in Surrey Heartlands have taken the decision to escalate to a critical incident. This allows us to take additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients and help us cope with the growing pressures.
“Unfortunately, this means local organisations may need to reschedule some non-urgent operations, treatments and outpatient appointments to accommodate those patients with the most urgent clinical need. People should attend appointments unless they are contacted; cancer and our other most urgent operations continue to be prioritised.
“As a reminder, if your loved one is ready to be discharged from hospital we would be very grateful for your support in enabling that discharge as quickly and safely as possible. This helps to free up capacity in our hospitals for those patients requiring hospital treatment.
“Making sure you use services appropriately and only attend A&E if you have an emergency is also essential at this time, allowing our emergency departments to focus on those who really need their care. Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard and we would like to reassure patients and the public that despite the challenges faced and some changes to non-urgent appointments, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you do require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward.”
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: “Along with other local hospitals Royal Surrey has declared a critical incident. This is because we have a very high number of people attending our Emergency Department and patients waiting to be admitted onto an inpatient ward.
“We are doing everything possible to safely discharge patients and improve flow through the hospital. Please support us by accessing the right service for your health issue.”
The trust operates Royal Surrey County Hospital, Haslemere Hospital, Milford Hospital, Cranleigh village Hospital, Royal Surrey Cancer Centre, Royal Surrey Cancer Centre at East Surrey, Royal Surrey Cancer Centre at Ashford and St Peter’s, and Royal Surrey Cancer Centre at Frimley.
