A hospital trust that declared a 'critical incident' earlier this week has urged people to 'think very carefully' about attending at A&E over the festive period.
The critical incident was initially announced by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on Tuesday (December 20) as the trust said it faced 'exceptionally high levels of occupancy, growing pressure on services, and unprecedented attendances' at the A&E department of the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan.
Today (Friday December 23) the trust announced that the critical incident has now ended but warned that 'exceptional pressure' on services and high levels of attendance are continuing to 'provide significant challenges'. It also asked that people collect family and friends from hospital as soon as they are ready to be discharged, to free up beds for those who need them.
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"The exceptional pressure on WWL’s services and high level of attendances at our Emergency Department (A&E) at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, continue to provide significant challenges," a trust spokesman said. "Thanks to the incredible dedication and teamwork of the Trust’s staff and partner organisations across the Wigan Borough and Greater Manchester, progress is being made and WWL is no longer in a critical incident.
"It has been a tremendous effort from everyone involved and we are extremely grateful to the public for your continuous understanding and support to WWL staff and each other during this very difficult time However, despite moving out of a critical incident, we must stress the importance of helping our teams to provide care for those who need it most, especially over the four-day Bank Holiday period.
"Over the coming days and beyond, it is critical that you think very carefully about your healthcare choices, and equally as important to understand that our A&E is still open and if you or your loved one’s condition or injury is life or limb-threatening, you will be cared for. Our priority, as always, is the safety of our patients and staff.
"As well as accessing the right level of healthcare for your needs, we must also reiterate our continuous focus on discharging as many patients as quickly and as safely as possible to make more space in our hospitals. You can help by being on hand to collect your loved ones as soon as they are well enough to return back to their place of normal residence. Recovery at home is always the best option, and our discharge teams will continue to help patients and families to make sure the transition to home is safe and with the right support in place."
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