“Attendances at A&E are high as are emergency admissions. We also have a number of patients who are well enough to leave hospital but who remain in hospital for a variety of reasons.”
The NHS in Northamptonshire has been managing on-going pressures since the start of the month – and hospital bosses say that on January 25, the two local hospitals have reached a point where they have taken the decision to declare a rare “critical incident”.
Dr Imogen Staveley, Interim Chief Medical Officer at NHS Northamptonshire ICB said: “This is an exceptional situation and we are doing everything in partnership across the NHS and Social Care to resolve it.
“I would ask patients to assist the NHS by choosing which service to access when they are unwell, only call 999 in a true emergency and to access alternative services where possible.
“We assure the public that all emergency services remain open and available whilst we discharge patients from hospital to the most appropriate setting for their ongoing care.”
Hospital bosses saif that staff will do “everything possible” to avoid an impact on outpatient appointments and planned operations. Meanwhile General Practice remains open in the usual way but is likely to be extremely busy.
A critical incident allows hospitals to take additional steps to maintain safe services for patients and help staff cope with the growing pressures including opening additional beds and enlisting the support of partners to help hospitals cope with the current pressures, according to the NHS.
A spokesperson for the trust added: “Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard, so please be kind to everyone who is working as hard as they can to support you.
“We would like to reassure patients and the public that despite the challenges faced, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward. People should also continue to attend planned appointments unless they are contacted.
“We would ask the public to think carefully before attending Accident and Emergency and only do so in a real emergency. Alternative services are in-place in the community for minor health conditions and we would encourage use of these wherever possible.”
