The ability of Nottingham hospitals to treat cancer patients may have reduced after a 'critical incident' was declared, bosses have said. It comes after officials at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust [NUH], which runs Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre, declared a third critical incident in just six months.
A critical incident is called when the level of disruption results in a local NHS organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services, with the organisation having to prioritise patients with the highest level of need. Directors at Nottingham University Hospitals NUH Trust (NUH) said some operations had been cancelled amid mounting pressures on the health service and its emergency department in particular, with a large amount of the demand attributed to a 'huge' increase in flu admissions owing to the recent cold weather.
On whether cancer patients will be affected, NUH medical director Keith Girling said he did not know the figures, but explained the trust "may have lost" some cancer activity specifically on Monday (December 19). "The ones that are the most time critical we have tried to maintain," he said. "I haven't had the data yet but we may have lost some cancer activity today."
