UHNM Pressures – Critical Incident Declared

Due to a sustained increase in pressures at both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford, University Hospitals of North Midlands has today declared a Critical Incident. 

During the festive and New Year period there has been an increase in attendances at the Emergency Departments by those who require an admission and an increasing number of patients waiting extended periods of time in the community for our services. 

Declaring a critical incident enables us to take additional measures to maintain safe services for our patients and those in the community waiting for an ambulance.

We will continue to work with our NHS and local authority partners to ensure that people who need hospital and emergency care can get treatment quickly and to identify any additional support that allows us to discharge patients who do not require acute hospital care.

During this time the emergency departments will continue to see the sickest patients first, which means, for some patients, there may be much longer delays than usual.

Dr Matthew Lewis, Chief Medical Officer at UHNM said: "During the festive period, our hospitals have seen an increase in attendances and are currently extremely busy.

“Local people should still come to our Emergency Departments if they have serious, life-threatening conditions that need immediate medical attention, such as chest pain, loss of consciousness, acute confusion, severe blood loss, serious burns, broken bones, suspected stroke. 

“For other conditions, Walk-in centres, GPs, Pharmacies and NHS 111 will be able to offer expert advice – often quicker and closer to home.

“People can also help by ensuring they are vaccinated against flu and Covid-19 (if eligible). Visitors should not come into hospital if they have symptoms of flu, norovirus, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses."

We ask the public to help us by only using A&E in a serious or life-threatening emergency. It remains vital that people who need care come forward and get it in the usual way – using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and 111 for everything else.

When we’re discharging patients, we ask that their friends or loved ones pick them up from hospital as soon as possible and have everything they need at home.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.