As previously reported, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT), which runs Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester hospitals, declared a critical incident on Tuesday, January 7, due to a high number of admissions due to flu cases.
The trust said that the high number of admissions had placed pressure on services, with a high number of infectious patients requiring isolation and a low discharge rate contributing to the decision.
Today, Monday, January 13, the trust has stepped down its critical incident status.
Hospital ward (Image: Contributed) READ MORE: Hospital beds and emergency departments full due to flu cases says trust
Andy Hyett, Hampshire Hospitals’ Chief Operating Officer says: “We are enormously grateful to the public for the way in which they are supporting our staff by only coming to the Emergency Department if seriously ill or injured.
“Treating those who need us most is our priority and the public’s efforts is making a real difference. Although stepping down from a critical incident is positive and testament to the hard work of our staff and the support of our system partners, we are not out of the woods yet and are unlikely to be for many weeks to come.
“We ask that people continue seeking treatment and healthcare elsewhere unless very unwell.”