Due to high demand and excessive wait times, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have declared a “critical incident” in their accident and emergency unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The declaration comes as the hospital reports being “extremely busy”, with patients with flu and other respiratory conditions flooding the emergency department. It has warned people to only go to A&E in genuine medical emergencies and has urged non-emergency patients to seek alternative healthcare services. These may include a GP, a local pharmacy, or a walk-in centre.
The Royal Liverpool isn’t the only department facing critical issues, with incidents also being declared in the East Midlands and Cornwall. The East Midlands Ambulance Service has declared its first critical incident due to a combination of significant patient demand, pressure within hospitals, and flooding within the region. Meanwhile, health bosses have asked those suffering from flu, Covid, Norovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus, to stay away from the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s A&E department in Truro.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has put emergency measures in place to ensure patient safety. Managers are working closely with partners to arrange safe departures for patients who are medically fit. A trust spokesman said staff are working around the clock to treat patients and warned that some would experience a longer wait while they treated their sickest patients.
Patients and visitors to the hospital have been asked to follow additional infection control measures to help curb the spread of flu and norovirus. Practising good hand hygiene, only visiting areas within the hospital they require immediate access to, and wearing masks in clinical areas, if asked to do so, will help to maintain the safety and health of everyone within the hospital
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