Liverpool hospital declares critical incident over 'exceptionally high' demand on A&E amid rising flu cases
- Recent data indicates that hospitals across England are experiencing unprecedented demands due to escalating flu cases.
- Critical incidents have prompted hospitals to manage patient care proactively and limit emergency department visits for non-urgent cases.
- The current healthcare crisis underscores the need for vaccinations and alternative care options to alleviate pressure on emergency services.
In England, several hospitals have recently declared critical incidents as they face exceptionally high demand for emergency services due to a surge in flu and respiratory illnesses. As winter has progressed, there has been a significant increase in flu cases, with reports indicating around 5,000 new hospitalizations daily. NHS trusts, particularly in cities like Liverpool, Birmingham, and Hampshire, are struggling to cope with this spike, leading to warnings of lengthy wait times in A&E departments. With the NHS urging people to avoid emergency services unless absolutely necessary, the situation has escalated to the extent that some patients may face waits extending up to 50 hours. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital has been particularly affected, citing a drastic rise in flu and respiratory illness cases over the past several weeks. Spokespersons for these facilities have emphasized the alarming increase in emergency department visits, which have led to a backlog of patients requiring care. Emergency departments across diverse NHS trusts have reported severe pressures, urging those with non-urgent cases to seek alternatives like GPs or pharmacies to alleviate the overload on services. Critical incidents are declared when hospitals lose the ability to deliver essential services due to overwhelming demand or staffing crises. This declaration allows for the mobilization of additional resources and support from other agencies, thus prioritizing care for the most critically ill patients. For example, the University Hospitals Plymouth Trust saw significant patient influx, with hundreds visiting the emergency department within a single day, many requiring inpatient stay. In conjunction with the rise in flu cases, a so-called