Royal Stoke declares critical incident due to Covid staff shortages
It means some non-urgent operations and appointments will be postponed
University Hospitals North Midlands NHS Trust - which runs the Royal Stoke and County Hospitals - has declared a critical incident as the health service deals with a huge staff shortage due to Covid-related reasons.
Declaring a critical incident means some non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments will be postponed so that the trust can prioritise patients with the most urgent clinical need.
UHNM has insisted that cancer and other most urgent operations and appointments will continue to be prioritised, and those patients whose appointments are being postponed will be contacted directly by hospital teams.
Tracy Bullock, UHNM Chief Executive, said: “We are currently experiencing extremely high demand for all our services and have taken the decision to declare a critical incident. This allows us to be able to take additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients. We are working with our local health and social care partners to help us cope with the growing pressures due to demand and the effect of Covid related staff absences.
“Unfortunately, this does mean postponing some non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments to accommodate those patients with the most urgent clinical need and we will contact patients directly to rearrange appointments. We are also using tried and tested business continuity processes to deploy staff to priority areas with high levels of absence and thank all colleagues for their flexibility and commitment.
“The public can help us manage these periods of demand by ensuring they are seeking help from the most appropriate health services, and only attending A&E for serious accidents and emergencies. If you are unwell, visit NHS 111 online for 24/7 advice about the most appropriate care for your need.”