Winchester hospital declares critical incident
Bosses say it's due to sustained pressures as more people take up beds
The trust which runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester has declared a critical incident.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the decision was taken there yesterday afternoon (Monday 16th) due to sustained pressures there and at their hospital in Basingstoke.
The trust has blamed a high admission rate, a high number of infectious patients requiring isolation, and a low discharge rate.
In a statement, bosses said the decision had not been taken lightly, but that beds across both hospitals were full and attendance at their emergency departments extremely high, meaning there was currently no capacity to admit further patients needing their care.
As part of the critical incident response the trust said they would be looking for support across the health system to discharge patients who no longer require acute care and limit the number that need to come to the acute hospital.
Julie Dawes, chief nurse for Hampshire Hospitals, says:
"There are two ways the public can help at this time; firstly, by only attending our Emergency Departments if acutely unwell or injured; and secondly by collecting loved ones who are ready for discharge.
“A considerable number of beds are being used to care for individuals who would be more comfortable recuperating in a home setting.
"Our ward teams can help with medication or equipment so if you can, please have the conversation and collect loved ones; this will free up capacity for someone who in need of hospital treatment and care.
"We are doing all we can to increase capacity for urgent emergency care in our hospitals and we appreciate the public’s support and patience during this time."