Dorset NHS trust declares critical incident
University Hospitals Dorset says there are very few beds and lots of staff off.
Last updated 5th Jan 2022
An NHS trust in Dorset has declared a critical incident because of COVID-19.
University Hospitals Dorset manages Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole hospitals, which includes A&E services which serve some other parts of Dorset.
Few beds are available at the hospital, and high numbers of staff are either off ill or self-isolating.
A spokesperson for the trust said:
"This critical incident is an indication of the serious pressure we are facing and demonstrates how we are taking immediate steps to ensure we can still provide our critical services. We are working extremely hard to ensure our patients are kept safe.
"This incident also reflects the concerted pressure on our urgent care pathways and the fact that any beds that do become available may not be in the most appropriate setting for our patients.
"The additional infection prevention and control requirements that apply whenever a patient is admitted with covid means that any increase in the numbers makes a very significant difference to the pressures experienced by our staff.
"We have already made the very difficult decision to cancel some elective operations and continue to monitor the situation very closely."