Lincolnshire hospitals A&E departments are seeing a significant rise in the number of visitors
It comes as new figures show the number of people in attendance is 20% higher in Lincolnshire, over the Christmas period, than in 2021
We're hearing hospitals in Lincolnshire have been seeing 20% more patients in A&E than last year. That's in the 10 days between Christmas Eve and January 2nd.
The amount of patients in Lincolnshire A&E departments has gone up by 20% over the Christmas period compared to 2021.
That's with emergency admissions via A&E also rising by 9%.
It's adding to the pressures facing the NHS, and it's also been contributing to the need for critical incident status at the hospitals.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been in a critical incident status twice in recent weeks.. and that's because of the amount of people.
Chief Executive, Andrew Morgan tells us more:
"I think this is a combination of post COVID pressures, the current respiratory illnesses that the people have got -then overlay on that- staff sickness, difficulties in discharging people, and you put all of that lot together and you end up with a very, very busy NHS.
"I think that's what we're seeing across the country now, a number of services under extreme pressures, a range of critical incidents and every one, now having to really get stuck in.
"Hour by hour to try to keep the place going. Keep the flow going. Obviously I'm talking about the hospital part of of of the NHS. But I know when I talk to my colleagues in general practice in the community and mental health or in social care, all parts of the system are really, really busy and I'd just like to thank all of those partners, in health and social care, for all the help that they're giving us to help us with our."