West Suffolk Hospital declares 'critical incident' amid NHS pressures
It comes after the local ambulance service issued a similar warning on Monday
West Suffolk Hospital has declared a 'critical incident', as pressure mounts on the NHS across the region.
The Trust says its dealing with a 'significant' number of people seeking help, meaning its having to put in extra measures to ensure the smooth running of the hosputal
The average wait time at the A&E is longer than usual and there are issues with discharging patients back home safely.
The trust says its "stepped up its internal processes following a period of sustained patient demand and operational pressures."
Nicola Cottington, chief operating officer for West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said:
“The Trust is currently experiencing high demand for its services due to the significant volume of patients needing our care. We, like many other trusts across the NHS, are having to take a number of steps in addition to our normal working practices, including focusing on discharging those patients that are ready to go home.
“We are asking the public to help us be there for those who need us most by getting their Covid-19 and flu jabs as well as utilising NHS 111 for non-urgent health advice.
“While we are busier than normal at the moment, we are urging those who require emergency clinical care to attend our emergency department or telephone 999 at the earliest opportunity.”
East of England Ambulance Service declared a similar 'critical incident' earlier this week.