Full list of NHS hospitals declaring critical incidents amid surge in flu cases
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Several NHS trusts declared critical incidents due to ‘exceptionally high demands’ in emergency departments. Multiple hospitals across the country have declared critical incidents after emergency departments were swamped by a surge in winter flu cases.
As of Tuesday evening, NHS England confirmed at least a dozen hospitals had declared the health system’s highest alert level as the rise in respiratory cases led to “exceptionally high demands”. Health services issue critical incident declarations when their services become so overwhelmed they struggle to deliver critical services, risking patient safety. It means the service needs additional staff and support from other agencies to continue to operate.
Hospitals have urged patients to go to emergency departments only in life-threatening situations, and have asked people to contact their GP or dial 111 for non-urgent health needs. Some have also restricted visitor numbers and encouraged people to wear surgical masks to limit the spread of viruses.
