Two hospitals have declared a critical incident this morning (Tuesday), meaning they have no capacity to admit further patients at this time.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust declared the critical incident due to sustained pressures at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, the reasons being a high admission rate, a high number of infectious patients requiring isolation and a low discharge rate.
Beds across both hospitals are full and attendance at their emergency departments is “extremely high”.
Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital
This is the second time in the space of a month the trust has declared such an incident, with both hospitals being placed on the same alert from the afternoon of December 16 to the morning of December 18 last year.
Hampshire Hospitals chief nurse Julie Dawes said: “This year has seen an unusually high level of winter viruses, with a significant number of patients presenting with respiratory issues.
“There are two ways the public can help at this time; firstly, by only attending our emergency departments if acutely unwell or injured; and secondly by collecting loved ones who are ready for discharge.
“Our ward teams can help with medication or equipment so if you can, please have the conversation and collect loved ones; this will free up capacity for someone who in need of hospital treatment and care.
“Anyone suffering from a winter virus is advised to stay at home and rest, drink plenty of fluids, and use over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to assist with managing symptoms.”
The trust has advised only those with life-threatening conditions to attend emergency departments, and it has urged anyone else seeking medical advice to contact the NHS on 111.
The trust is also reviewing patients scheduled for elective procedures and appointments at this time has stated that unless patients hear from the trust directly, they should assume their procedure or appointment will proceed as planned.