Staffordshire and Cheshire hospitals hit 'winter crisis levels'
Leighton Hospital and The Royal Stoke are seeing an influx of people visiting A&E
The head of the Royal College of Nursing for the North West is warning NHS staff are on the brink of collapse before we've even hit winter.
It comes after the Medical Director at The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust urged people across Staffordshire and Cheshire last week to only visit A&E if it's a life threatening emergency, and to consider using all available alternatives for treatment such as local GPs, pharmacies or the NHS 111 number.
The Royal Stoke is currently experiencing what they describe as "unprecedented pressure" on their services, particularly the emergency department.
A spokesperson for Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - which operates Crewe's Leighton Hospital told Hits Radio Staffordshire & Cheshire News: “As is the case across the country, our services are very busy and staff are working extremely hard to provide the best possible care for patients with Covid-19, as well as the many patients without Covid-19.
“The Emergency Department at Leighton Hospital is particularly busy - if you need urgent medical advice but it’s not an emergency, you can go to NHS111 online or call 111 for advice and support.
“It’s also important for the public to continue to play their part in helping to control Covid-19 by getting vaccinated and acting responsibly. We’d urge anyone who has not yet taken up the vaccination offer, to get one as soon as possible to ensure they gain maximum protection from the virus and protect themselves and their local communities.”
The Ambulance Services for the West Midlands and The North West also urged people to contact them only if it's a real emergency after people dialled 999 for things like sunburn and a cut toe.
Estephanie Dunn, Regional Director for the Royal College of Nursing in the North West said:
"We've got what looks like winter...lots of bottlenecks of ambulances queueing outside hospitals, insufficient numbers of beds to be able to put people into to move them from the A&E department and not enough staff to deliver the safe care that these people, our patients, deserve.
"For this to be happening in July is really unprecedented for us. We've got staff who have worked extra days so there isn't an awful lot left in the tank for them and this is just something that they cannot see their way through at the moment."
Estephanie said the pandemic has exacerbated an ongoing staffing crisis with a shortage of 5000 registered nurses in the region:
"We need to have the right numbers of people with the right skills in the right place so people aren't having to go to work and think do you know what I had to nurse somebody in the corridor today and that's not great, I could of, should of done better for them, but because the system is so log jammed they're not able to because they haven't got enough staff...that is really distressing.
"I seriously struggle with how our members will be able to keep going because it's physically impossible for them at the moment. Covid isn't going away any time soon."