03.01.17
Peterborough hospital declares ‘critical internal incident’ due to winter pressure
Peterborough City Hospital has declared a critical internal incident, with local residents urged to only use A&E in an emergency.
In a statement, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS FT said it was facing “unprecedented demand” following “an extremely busy festive period”, and that patients requiring admission were having to wait due to a lack of available beds.
Dr Andrew Cope, an emergency department consultant at the trust, noted that the trust had called in additional staff to assess support ward teams in discharging patients.
“However, we are bracing ourselves for a challenging first week of the new year as we know it will take a few days before we can re-establish a smoother flow of patients in and out of hospital,” he added.
Dr Cope warned that hospitals across the region were also under significant pressure, and asked that patients only attended their local emergency department for critical situations, such as choking, chest pain, severe blood loss or broken bones.
For x-rays, wounds, bites and sprains, Dr Cope said patients should go to the minor illness and injuries unit. In addition, he recommended using NHS 111 or a GP, pharmacy, or walk-in centre.
Recently, the Health Select Committee warned that a mix of high demand and strained finances mean A&Es will be under unprecedented pressure this winter.
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