News and media releases from the Surrey Heartlands area
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Surrey hospitals under extreme pressure as critical incidents declared
Due to significant ongoing pressure, alongside the need to act swiftly to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high quality care, three Surrey hospital trusts have declared ‘critical incidents’ as frontline teams work hard to manage the demand they are seeing.
The critical incidents – which reflect a level of NHS escalation that enables trusts to focus on critical services – is a result of a surge in complex attendances to A&E departments and ongoing challenges in discharging patients who are well enough to leave hospital.
The current situation is exacerbated by increases in flu and norovirus cases and an increase in staff sickness. The recent cold weather front has also impacted on more frail patients needing to be admitted to hospital.
Due to the extreme pressures being faced by the three acute trusts in the county - Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust - NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB has also declared a critical incident in order to provide support and co-ordination to trusts as they work to ensure critical services are maintained.
Dr Charlotte Canniff, Joint Chief Medical Officer of NHS Surrey Heartlands explains:
Due to extreme pressures, today hospitals and the ICB in Surrey Heartlands have taken the decision to escalate to a critical incident.
This allows us to take additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients and help us cope with the growing pressures.
Unfortunately, this means local organisations may need to reschedule some non-urgent operations, treatments and outpatient appointments to accommodate those patients with the most urgent clinical need.
People should attend appointments unless they are contacted; cancer and our other most urgent operations continue to be prioritised.
As a reminder, if your loved one is ready to be discharged from hospital we would be very grateful for your support in enabling that discharge as quickly and safely as possible.
This helps to free up capacity in our hospitals for those patients requiring hospital treatment.
Making sure you use services appropriately and only attend A&E if you have an emergency is also essential at this time, allowing our emergency departments to focus on those who really need their care.
Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard and we would like to reassure patients and the public that despite the challenges faced and some changes to non-urgent appointments, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you do require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward.
Members of the public can help the local NHS manage these periods of demand by ensuring they are seeking help from the most appropriate health services:
- People should continue to use pharmacies, GP practices, walk-in centres, the NHS App and NHS 111 online or by phone 24/7 for urgent health advice
- People should only use 999 and A&E for serious or life-threatening conditions or medical emergencies (when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk).
- If appointments or procedures have been affected the local NHS will contact people directly to reschedule them as soon as possible. If people haven’t been contacted, they should attend appointments as usual.
- And if you have a loved one who is ready to be discharged from hospital we would be very grateful for your support in enabling that discharge as quickly and safely as possible.
Dr Charlotte Canniff added:
Over the coming days services are likely to be busier and waits may be longer so we are also asking people to be patient as frontline teams continue to work incredibly hard, as they prioritise critical services and make sure people get the care they need.
If you are unwell, NHS 111 can help direct you to the most appropriate place for your needs.
Full details of local services, including Minor Injury Units, Urgent Treatment Centres and Walk-in Centres across Surrey, can be found on our website.
If people aren’t sure which service they need, people should use NHS 111 online (www.111.nhs.uk) or call 111 for advice 24/7.