A severe IT system failure has plunged a major NHS trust into chaos, prompting the declaration of a critical incident as hospitals struggle to maintain services.
The technical meltdown has caused widespread disruption across University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, affecting multiple sites including the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Weston General Hospital.
Patient Care Severely Impacted
Hospital authorities have been forced to cancel numerous operations and outpatient appointments as staff revert to manual paper-based systems. Patients are experiencing significant delays and disruption to essential services.
Emergency departments remain open, but officials are urging the public to consider alternative options unless facing genuine life-threatening emergencies.
Critical Incident Response Activated
The trust confirmed the critical incident declaration, stating: "We have declared a critical incident due to a major IT outage. Our teams are working tirelessly to resolve the issue and maintain patient safety."
Technical specialists are working around the clock to restore systems, but no timeline has been provided for when normal service might resume.
What This Means for Patients
- Many scheduled operations and appointments cancelled
- Significant delays expected across all services
- Emergency care available for critical cases only
- Patients advised to use NHS 111 online for non-urgent care
- Paper records being used as backup system
The trust has apologised for the disruption and assured patients they will be contacted directly about rearranging cancelled appointments once systems are restored.
