NHS wait times in crisis - check how long you'll be waiting at your local hospital
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Patients are being urged to seek emergency treatment alone as flu cases continue to soar across the UK leaving some hospitals crumbling under the demand for beds. Many hospitals are restricting visitor numbers while others are encouraging people to wear surgical masks to limit the spread of viruses. Several NHS trusts have declared critical incidents due to “exceptionally high demands” in emergency departments, with a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward.
Around 5,000 hospital beds in England are occupied with patients with flu. York and Scarborough hospitals requested public support by asking patients to seek medical attention alone where possible. Dr Ed Smith, deputy medical director at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said emergency departments are “exceptionally busy at the moment”. “While we understand it’s appropriate for a friend or family member to accompany with a child or as a carer for example, if patients can attend alone, this will help free up much-needed space for other patients.”.
Accident and Emergency wards had their busiest October on record, but still performed better than at the same time last year, according to the official NHS data. There were 2.36 million attendances at A&E wards in England last month, including 1.45 million in major ‘Type 1’ A&Es. These are defined as consultant led 24-hour service with full resuscitation facilities and designated accommodation for the reception of accident and emergency patients.
