Critical Incident remains in force in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Cornwall's NHS are asking people to choose the right service after declaring a critical incident over the weekend.

An increasing number of people are experiencing winter bugs, like flu, Covid and norovirus.

Health bosses say the hospital and emergency department have been under significant pressure over the week, and they're now urging the public to only come to the emergency department if there's a life-threatening emergency.

Chris Reid, chief medical officer at NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board said: "Compared to this time last year, we know there's about four times as many flu cases in Cornwall so that's putting a lot of pressure on the system as a whole."

What is the NHS doing in response?

During a system critical incident the NHS takes steps such as opening more beds, arranging for extra staff to come into work, reducing non-clinical activities such as standing down meetings, and getting additional support from other services

Dr Chris Reid added: "Over the last month we have seen almost four times as many hospital inpatients with flu as we did a year ago. Calling a system critical incident allows us to stand down non urgent work and focus on seeing more patients in our primary care hubs, getting people home from hospital and helping keep them from needing to be admitted.

"I want to thank all of our hardworking colleagues across the health and care system who work tirelessly all year round but are under particular pressure when our services are so busy."

How are they helping to keep people from needing to visit the emergency department?

The NHS supports frail and older people in their own homes with a Right Care car, X-ray car and Falls car, which can attend people who have had a fall or who are unwell instead of them being taken by ambulance to the emergency department.

If people need more support and monitoring they may be taken our same day emergency care units or our community assessment and treatment units where they can be monitored and have any tests and treatment they need before coming home the same day or the following day. We can also monitor and care for people in their own home through virtual wards either instead of a hospital stay or to help them come home.

We have invested in a wide range of community support services that help people to stay well and in their own homes and in primary care hubs that provide on the day appointments through GP practices.

We ask the public to consider using the wide range of alternatives to the emergency department, including our network of minor injury units and our urgent treatment centre (check the waiting times and opening hours online), NHS111 online or on the phone, their own GP and local pharmacies.

How else can people help?

If you have a friend or family member in hospital please help them to come home as soon as they are ready. Talk to the ward staff about the support available to help them be discharged, including one off grants.

If you have any symptoms of a winter bug such as flu or norovirus please stay at home, particularly avoid people who are more vulnerable such as hospital patients or care home residents.

There is lots of Stay Well winter wellbeing advice on our website and social media on how you can care for yourself or a loved one at home with winter bugs and other conditions and how to reduce the spread of these bugs

If you don’t have symptoms of an infectious bug and you have an appointment do please attend unless you are contacted.

If you do have a life threatening emergency we want to reassure you that our emergency services are available and ask you to continue to use them

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