Isle of Wight NHS Trust declared a critical incident yesterday (March 11) across the acute and ambulance services to protect patient safety as the hospital and emergency department are full.
Demand for emergency and urgent care is currently outstripping the number of beds available, which is leading to unacceptable delays in care and admission.
Victoria Lauchlan, Interim Chief Operating Officer at the Trust said:
“We currently have a high number of people in hospital beds who are waiting for onward care arrangements in the community. We are working as an island healthcare system to do everything we can to ensure we can help better support these people to be discharged home with a package of care or to Care and Nursing Homes.
“At this time we are asking people to help by collecting their relatives or friends as soon as they are ready to leave and helping with any additional care and support at home.”
Juliet Pearce, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs added:
“To protect the life-saving services we provide we are asking for everyone’s support including using your local healthcare services appropriately.
“You can help by visiting 111 online or speaking to your pharmacist, GP or practice nurse in the first instance for support with coughs, colds, rashes and diarrhoea and vomiting. We are here if you need us but please be patient if you need to use our hospital services as our teams are doing all they can.”
Yesterday Juliet Pierce released a video message (below) to residents saying the hospital was under "extreme pressure" and was caring for a number of patients who didn't need to be cared for in an acute setting.
She urged families with loved ones who could be cared for at home, to support the hospital by caring for those patients themselves, in order to free up beds.
NHS 111 - can tell you where to help for your symptoms if you’re not sure what to do, help you get general health information and advice, where to get an emergency supply of medicine if you have run out and how to get a repeat prescription. You can call 111 or go online at: https://111.nhs.uk/
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