Two major hospitals declare critical incidents with ‘no beds left’ as they beg people to ‘pick up patients’
TWO major hospitals have declared critical incidents due to not having any beds left.
There is “currently no capacity to admit further patients needing our care” at Basingstoke and Winchester hospitals, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said.
The bed shortage had been caused by high admission rates, high numbers of infectious patients requiring isolation, and a low discharge rate.
In a statement published yesterday, the trust said the decision had “not been taken lightly”.
It continued: “Beds across both hospitals are full and attendance at our emergency departments is extremely high.”
Patients with non-urgent issues are being warned they could face “extremely long waits” in A&E.
Instead, they’re urged to contact 111 or visit a GP, pharmacy, or urgent treatment centre.
People are also been asked to collect friends or family quickly once they’ve been seen, so as to free up capacity.
Julie Dawes, chief nurse for Hampshire Hospitals, said: “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 is in need of hospital treatment and care.”
The trust statement added staff were doing “all we can” to increase capacity and thanked the public for their “patience”.
It comes after weeks of warnings about a “quad-demic” of converging winter illnesses – flu, Covid-19, cold-causing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus.
Hospitals are already facing a “tidal wave” of flu patients, with over a 70 per cent surge seen within the last seven days.
Cases of norovirus were up ten per cent on the previous week and 64 per cent on last year.
While 152 children were in hospital with RSV each day – up 42 per cent from this time in 2023.
When to go to A&E + when to visit your pharmacist instead
A&E (accident and emergency) is for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies.
Life-threatening emergencies are different for adults and children
For adults these include:
- Signs of a heart attack
- Signs of a stroke
- Heavy bleeding
- Seizures
For children these include:
- Seizures
- Choking
- Heavy bleeding
- Severe injuries
You can find more information on when to call 999, on the NHS website.
Where can I go instead?
There are urgent treatment centres in most hospitals, which can provide help when it’s not a life-threatening emergency, for example, cuts, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
There are also walk-in centres, which can help with many of the same problems.
You might even be better off waiting for a GP appointment or asking your pharmacist to help if you’re suffering from general aches and pains, skin rashes or an earache.