Four hospital trusts have announced critical incidents due to “significant and sustained pressures” on their services.
A surge in flu and norovirus cases, coupled with staff illness, has worsened the situation. NHS Surrey Heartlands noted that the recent cold weather conditions led to an influx of patients seeking medical care.
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. The Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, part of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, has also declared a critical incident due to “sustained pressures”.
(Image: Getty Images)
In a statement, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust said: “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.”, reports the Mirror.
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.
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