A leaked memo to staff at the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) has confirmed the NHS trust is at its 'highest level of internal escalation' amid ongoing and increasingly mounting pressures being faced across the region.
The email, which was first leaked to The Sunday Times and shared with the Manchester Evening News on Thursday (December 29), tells staff at the trust, which runs four hospitals and community services within Salford, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale, that the NCA is at the 'highest level of internal escalation' and 'managing our situation as a Business Continuity Incident'.
The memo goes on to thank all staff for their hard work during an 'incredibly difficult and pressured time', as 'extremely high' numbers of patients continue to present at A&E, with 'limited free beds' available and a 'large number of patients waiting for discharge' across the Trust's hospitals.
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In a direct response to the Manchester Evening News on Thursday night (December 29), the NCA again re-endorsed the plea for the public to only call 999 or attend A&E if their condition is a 'life-threatening emergency'.
It comes as NHS data revealed available hospital beds in Greater Manchester are almost full - with occupancy currently at around 98 per cent, with around a tenth of all beds filled with Covid-positive patients. Earlier on Thursday (December 29) NHS bosses issued an ' urgent' plea to the public to stay away from A&E units amid what they called 'unprecedented levels of attendance' .
The Manchester Evening News has revealed hospitals across the region have been fluctuating between 'internal alert levels' - activated to allow additional steps to be taken to maintain safe services for patients and help staff cope with growing pressures.
The email, from Chief Delivery Officer Judith Adams at the Northern Care Alliance on Thursday, reads: "Firstly, thank you for your hard work at what we know is an incredibly difficult and pressured time.
"Across the NCA, we are at the highest level of internal escalation and managing our situation as a Business Continuity Incident. Our challenges include extremely high numbers in our A&E departments, limited free beds and a large number of patients waiting for discharge.
"Please be reassured that we are liaising with local / system partners to do everything we can to ease the pressure on our services (and you) though this is of course a real challenge given many other services and organisations are in the same boat."
The note goes on to remind clinical teams at hospitals across the region to continue their work in 'swiftly and safely' discharging patients and offers support to staff who are discussing potential discharge with patients or their families. It also reminds staff of support available with 'clinical decisions' made within the 'challenging circumstances' and to escalate operational issues that occur.
It continues: "Once again - thank you. We know this is as hard as we've ever known it and we see you digging ever deeper to give each other, our patients, our service users and their families the kindness, care and support we all need."
In a statement to the Manchester Evening News on Thursday night, Judith Adams, Chief Delivery Officer for the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Across the NCA, we are at the highest level of internal escalation and managing our situation as a Business Continuity Incident.
"Our challenges include extremely high numbers in our A&E departments and limited free beds. Our staff are, as ever, working relentlessly to care for and support our patients, including concentrating on promptly discharging patients home or to an alternative care setting as this frees up beds for other patients.
"We’d absolutely endorse the plea to members of the public by NHS Greater Manchester colleagues this week to only call 999 or attend A&E if their condition is a life-threatening emergency. For anyone who is unsure which service they need, NHS 111 online or by phone provides expert advice and will ensure people receive the right treatment and care for their needs.”
On Wednesday (December 28) the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership urged people only to call 999 or attend A&E in an 'life-threatening' emergency following a surge in patients needing care after Christmas. It said the current situation was 'beyond anything we have experienced before' in a stark and dramatic message.
And, on Tuesday (December 27), the North West Ambulance Service urged patients to ring 111 or seek help online instead of calling 999.
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