Four NHS hospital trusts in England have declared critical incidents following a surge in A&E admissions, driven largely by flu, norovirus, and other respiratory viruses. Three trusts in Surrey and one in Kent raised the alarm due to extreme pressures on emergency services.
A critical incident is the highest alert level used by the NHS, typically declared when A&E departments cannot safely deliver all services. It allows managers to take immediate steps to create additional capacity.
NHS Surrey Heartlands said the situation at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust was exacerbated by increases in flu and norovirus cases, as well as staff sickness. The recent cold weather has also impacted frail patients requiring hospital admission.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital due to significant and rising demand, with beds at full capacity and limited space for further acute admissions.
Dr Charlotte Canniff, joint chief medical officer of NHS Surrey Heartlands, said: “Due to extreme pressures, today hospitals and the ICB in Surrey Heartlands have taken the decision to escalate to a critical incident. Essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them.” Sarah Hayes from East Kent Hospitals added: “Our teams are working tirelessly under immense pressure. Anyone who needs urgent medical help should continue to come forward, using 999 in life-threatening emergencies and 111 for other care.”
