Hospitals declare critical incident over pressure

A hospital trust in Staffordshire has declared a critical incident saying it has been under severe and sustained pressure for the past week with even greater demand over the weekend.

The announcement covers both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford.

University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) trust is urging people to only use A&E in a serious or life-threatening emergency.

Chief Operating Officer Katy Thorp said taking the difficult decision to declare a critical incident helped them take additional measures to maintain safe services for hospital patients and those waiting for an ambulance.

"As anticipated, the pressure is greatest in our emergency departments, which are facing continued challenges as patients cannot be admitted to bed promptly," said Ms Thorp.

A&E units will continue to see the most ill patients first, said chief medical officer Dr Diane Adamson, warning that some patients may experience much longer delays than usual as a result.

"I would like to thank our staff for their ongoing efforts during this extremely challenging period and the public for their understanding and co-operation," she said.

Declaring a critical incident means a hospital can cancel or delay non-essential work.

UHNM said it was working with the NHS and local councils to ensure people could get treatment quickly, and to identify any additional support that allows the trust to discharge patients who do not need acute hospital care.

People picking up patients who have been discharged are being asked to do so as soon as possible, and make sure they have what they need at home.

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