Gloucestershire NHS bosses DENY their hospitals are empty amid secret filming on site
The Trust says its facilities "are and remain extremely busy"
Last updated 8th Jan 2021
NHS bosses in Gloucestershire have denied that their hospitals are empty, after footage was shared online suggesting this is the case.
One of the videos - reportedly filmed on Sunday 27 December - was initially posted on Facebook, but can now be found on a conspiracy theory website.
It includes a woman filming several empty corridors at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital's Outpatient Department.
Getting increasingly angry at the scene, she calls it "a joke" and "absolute disgrace".
She also walks to the Accident and Emergency Department, recording several people waiting for treatment.
It has received 85,000 views on the social media platform.
Another video was filmed at Gloucestershire Royal and posted to Facebook the following day.
The same woman appears to record several wards with little activity.
She captions the video saying "I can't see the evidence" that hospitals are "overrun" with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
'Caring for you around the clock'
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has responded, claiming that its currently caring for over 200 Coronavirus patients and more than 500 non-COVID occupants.
According to the Trust, over 300 people are also given emergency treatment in Gloucester and Cheltenham "every day of the year".
It added that Outpatient Departments have been "closed at times over the Christmas break".
In a statement, the Trust said: "Colleagues at both our hospitals have been working hard throughout the festive period to care for our patients.
"Contrary to what you may have seen through ‘secret filming’ on Facebook, our hospitals are and remain extremely busy.
"Filming patients who are waiting in A&E without their consent is both intrusive and upsetting as maintaining patient confidentiality is key to our hospitals being a safe space for you to receive the care you need.
"Our Trust and our colleagues throughout the NHS are dedicated to caring for you around the clock, every day of the year.
"We know that the vast majority of our local community in Gloucestershire appreciates the extraordinary dedication and expertise of our NHS and we’re extremely grateful to you all for your continued support".
Steve Hams, Gloucestershire Hospitals' Joint Director of Quality, has also addressed the footage: