Derriford Hospital has declared a critical incident – health bosses said the hospital has faced an overwhelming amount of pressure due to a high volume of patients
A hospital in Devon has declared a critical incident after seeing more than 300 patients in one day.
Derriford Hospital is facing extreme pressure following a high volume of patients who need medical attention. Hospital bosses said there was an influx of patients at the start of the week.
On Monday, the site welcomed more than 300 patients, with more than 200 being admitted as inpatients. The hospital has since urged people to only attend A&E if they are in serious condition.
The hospital sent a message to patients and said: “Our colleagues are working hard to prioritise patients based on their clinical need and move patients to the right place for them as soon as possible. If you have a very serious or life-threatening emergency, we are here for you, but otherwise, if you need urgent care, we ask you please to call NHS 111 or use NHS 111 online.”
Darryn Allcorn, chief nurse at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, stressed that the “sickest patients” must be “prioritised”. He said: “Our Emergency Department is there for life-threatening conditions and real emergencies. If you can use other services, such as NHS 111, pharmacy or your GP, please do so.
“If you do come to the Emergency Department and it is not an emergency or a life-threatening condition, then you may be redirected. It’s really important we make sure that the sickest patients are prioritised and that we keep our services flowing for those who are in greatest need.”
He added: “Therefore, we ask that at this time unless you are a carer or if the patient who is coming to the hospital is particularly distressed, that those who accompany patients do not to come into the Emergency Department. We need the seating spaces for patients to sit down and be comfortable. We ask that patients, visitors and families be kind to one another and continue to treat staff with respect during this extremely busy period.”
