Four NHS hospital trusts in England have declared critical incidents following a surge in A&E admissions, largely driven by flu, norovirus and respiratory viruses. The trusts are in Surrey and Kent, with three in Surrey and one in Kent sounding the highest alert level, which allows immediate steps to create capacity when services cannot be safely delivered.
NHS Surrey Heartlands reported that the situation at Royal Surrey NHS foundation trust, Epsom and St Helier university hospitals NHS trust and Surrey and Sussex healthcare NHS trust has been worsened by increases in flu and norovirus cases, alongside rising staff sickness. The recent cold weather has also affected frail patients needing hospital admission.
East Kent hospitals university NHS foundation trust declared a critical incident at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital due to significant demand, with beds at full capacity and limited room for acute admissions. The trust cited high admission rates and a large number of patients with winter illnesses and respiratory viruses.
Dr Charlotte Canniff, joint chief medical officer of NHS Surrey Heartlands, said teams were working hard and assured patients that essential services remain open despite some changes to non-urgent appointments. She urged the public to continue seeking urgent medical help if needed.
Sarah Hayes of East Kent hospitals emphasised that staff were working tirelessly under immense pressure and thanked the public for their patience. She encouraged anyone needing urgent care to call 999 for emergencies or 111 for advice, or visit 111.nhs.uk.
