Royal Cornwall Hospital on 'black alert' for entire summer holidays
Treliske has been in-and-out of the highest alert level since May
Last updated 7th Sep 2021
Cornwall's main hospital has been on so-called 'black alert' for the whole of the summer holidays.
In fact bosses say Treliske has been in-and-out of the highest alert level, known as Opel 4, since restrictions eased in May.
On the August bank holiday Monday, almost 700 people turned up at hospital in Cornwall alone. That includes the emergency department at Treliske, urgent treatment centre or minor injury units.
Our whole health system has been facing extreme pressure this year, with our ambulance service having declared a critical incident back in May.
NHS Kernow says attendances at the emergency department are back to pre-pandemic levels but the people coming in are more poorly.
There are concerns that the demand will now stay this high all the way through the winter.
In terms of coronavirus, there were 37 patients in hospital as of last Friday, which is double the number from three weeks ago, and five people with Covid were in the intensive care unit.
NHS Kernow says that 46 care homes are currently closed because of the virus.
It comes as Cornwall is declared an 'Enhanced Response Area' for Covid-19 amid the recent surge in cases.
It means we are getting five weeks of extra resources to assist with the vaccine rollout, testing capacity and contact tracing, and reinforced messaging.
But people are being urged to do what they can to help ease pressure on our whole health service, by choosing the right place to get medical help when needed.
Dr John Garman, Helston GP and NHS Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group Governing Body member, said: “The pressure continues to be felt across the whole health and care system, from our local GP surgeries to our hospital and minor injuries units.
“While we continue to work hard in our communities, there are lots of ways people can help ease the pressure if they need health advice and care.”
Dr Garman added: “It’s good to see that more people are attending a minor injury unit rather than heading straight for our emergency department. It means our emergency specialists can see the people who really need life-saving care more quickly. However, we need to remind people you still can’t just walk-in to a minor injury unit – contact NHS 111 if you think you need urgent help. Trained clinicians will make sure you receive any care you need from the most appropriate service and help us all maintain social distancing and stop the spread of the virus.”
How you can help:
• Visit your pharmacy for expert help with things like bites and stings, a cough or a sore throat, sunburn and hayfever, and even urinary infections
• Download the free NHS HandiApp which provides advice about common childhood conditions. Most fevers, and coughs can be treated with Calpol, drinking water, and will improve within a week.
• For things that aren’t urgent, like sick notes, prescription requests, medical records and GP letters – go to your surgery website and use eConsult.
• Make sure you have enough regular medication and don’t leave repeat prescription requests until you have run out. Talk to your pharmacist to arrange an urgent supply of medication if you do run out.
• Call your own GP – even if you’re on holiday. Many consultations can be carried out over the phone or video call, saving you a trip to the surgery and keeping face to face appointments free for those who need it most. You will always be asked to come in if a GP or nurse needs to examine you but you may need to wait for an appointment in these busy times.
• If you’re concerned about your own or someone else’s mental health call 0800 038 5300, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or search mental health crisis Cornwall.
• Go online to NHS 111 if you need medical help, or think you need to visit a minor injury unit.
• Do not visit the emergency department unless you have a serious or life-threatening condition such as a stroke, breathing difficulties, or a heart attack.
• Only call 999 if you have a genuine, life-threatening emergency such as serious illness or injury, major blood loss, chest pain or loss of consciousness. If you call for an ambulance, do not call back for an arrival time.
• Help us by taking your relatives home when they are ready for discharge from hospital. Financial support is available in the form of a one-off discharge grant for people who are ready to leave hospital but need a bit of extra care and support to return home. To date 27 grants have been paid to help people to return home.
• Grab a jab! The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are safe and effective. They give you the best protection against COVID-19 and are available for everyone aged 16 or over. Call 119 or visit nhs.uk to book your appointment, or visit one of our walk-in centres.