Bristol's NHS has asked patients to "stay away" from accident and emergency departments due to the "incredible pressure" on the hospitals at the moment. Bristolians are being asked to use other services "unless absolutely necessary".
The message was delivered in a video posted to the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust's social media channels. It features an NHS doctor explaining how busy the hospitals are, warning patients about the possible wait times.
In a statement, the Trust said that staffing challenges were impacting their services, as well as patients with Covid-19 and the fact that some patients are medically fit to be discharged, but do not have an appropriate place to go to.
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Speaking in the video, Dr Becky Thorpe, a consultant specialising in accident and emergency services, explained the current situation in the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. According to her NHS profile, Dr Thorpe works at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, and Weston General Hospital.
The hospitals that are part of that Trust include those listed above, as well as the Bristol Eye Hospital, South Bristol Community Hospital, St Michaels Hospital, and the University of Bristol Dental Hospital.
In the video, Dr Thorpe said: "Our hospitals, like the wider NHS and local health and care systems, are under incredible pressure at the moment. Please stay away from busy emergency departments unless absolutely necessary.
"If you do attend an emergency department, you may have a long wait or be redirected to another appropriate service if your illness or injury is not an emergency. Please think 111 first for all urgent but non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses, rather than visiting busy emergency departments. Thank you for your support."
When asked for more information on what was putting so much pressure on Bristol's hospitals, Professor Stuart Walker, medical director at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, said that staffing challenges were having an impact, alongside Covid-19 patients and the fact that some people who are medically fit do not have an appropriate place to leave hospital to go to. He added that hospitals and services across the UK are under pressure at the moment.
Professor Walker said: “Like many hospitals across the country, we are under sustained pressure in our emergency departments. Patient safety is always our priority. We always aim to see and treat patients as quickly as possible, and all patients arriving at our emergency departments are triaged and assessed with the most clinically urgent being prioritised.
“Like other hospitals, our ability to admit patients in a timely way is also being impacted by staffing challenges, the number of COVID-19 patients needing admission, and infection control guidance which means we have separate wards for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients to maintain safety but this reduces the flexible use of our beds.
“We also face challenges in ensuring the timely discharge of medically fit patients. We are working together with local health and care partners to ensure that people who need hospital care can be admitted and then discharged from hospital safely as soon as they are medically well enough to leave. Family and friends of patients can also help by being ready to collect their loved one from hospital when they are ready and supporting them when they get home.
"We would like to apologise to any of our patients who have experienced a longer wait at our emergency departments."
Separately, however, new NHS figures reveal that staff absences in English hospitals due to Covid-19 have jumped more than 30 per cent week-on-week, which is the biggest increase since the start of the year.
The South West of England has seen this biggest rise in the whole of England, with a 44 per cent jump week-on-week. However, the total number of absences is still below the level reached at the peak of the Omicron wave in early January, when absences due to Covid-19 averaged nearly 46,000 nationally.
England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty warned on Wednesday that Covid-19 hospital admissions are expected to rise over the next two weeks. Sir Chris said the virus was causing pressure in the NHS but that high rates of transmission were fortunately not translating into intensive care (ICU) cases and deaths.
A spokesperson from NHS Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire CCG, said: “Our whole health and care system remains under significant pressure, due to sustained high demand for services as well as staffing challenges associated with Covid-19.
“There are a number of ways that people can help us to help them at this exceptionally busy time:
- Only call 999 in the event of a serious or life-threatening emergency. Click or call 111 first for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, rather than visiting busy emergency departments and minor injuries units.
- You will be redirected to a more appropriate service if you attend our emergency settings with a minor complaint. Call or click 111 of you need urgent medical help and aren’t sure what to do
- Visit your local Pharmacy – they can offer clinical advice, prescribe some treatments, and provide over the counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains. Pharmacies are open throughout the day, evening and on weekends and you can be seen without an appointment.”
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