Liverpool Royal Hospital declares critical incident over 'exceptionally high' flu cases
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"Exceptionally high" levels of flu have caused a hospital to declare a critical incident, as patients are urged to stay away unless it is an emergency. Liverpool Royal Hospital has told people to visit their GPs or call 111 amid high numbers visiting its A&E department, unless it is a medical emergency. On Monday, the hospital declared a 'full capacity' emergency after some patients were found to waited as long as 91 hours in A&E before being treated.
This has now been upgraded to a critical incident, which is implemented when when the level of disruption results in the organisation losing its ability to deliver critical services, Liverpool Echo reported. A spokesperson for the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, which oversees the running of the Royal, said: “Given the exceptionally high demands on our emergency department, especially with flu and respiratory illnesses, and the number of patients we have taken this action to support the safe care and treatment of our patients, which is our absolute priority.
“We have a comprehensive plan in place and are taking all the necessary actions to manage the challenging circumstances facing patients and colleagues currently. We are working with partner organisations to ensure those that are medically fit can leave hospital safely and at the earliest opportunity.
“Colleagues are working incredibly hard to treat people as quickly as possible, however some people will experience longer waits while we treat our sickest patients. If it is not a medical emergency please consider using other services, such as your GP, local pharmacy or walk-in centre. The NHS 111 service can be used to help identify the most appropriate service for you and help avoid long waits.".
