A critical incident has been declared at Nottingham University Hospitals on Friday 13 February following sustained pressure on services, particularly in accident and emergency departments, which has led to long waits for patients.
The trust said demand over the past week has been high, with a significant increase in people presenting with respiratory conditions. The situation follows a previous critical incident in January, when rising demand, winter infections and staff sickness caused delays to care.
Hospital capacity is currently affected by a combination of factors. More than half of adult beds are occupied by patients aged over 80, whose conditions can be more complex and require longer stays. At the same time, a number of patients who are medically fit to leave hospital remain on wards, equivalent to almost two wards more than expected. This has contributed to patients waiting in corridors in A&E, including a high number awaiting treatment for respiratory illnesses, while staff continue to work under significant pressure.
Andrew Hall, chief operating officer at Nottingham University Hospitals, said the trust had attempted to mitigate pressures throughout the week but this had not sufficiently improved the situation, making the declaration necessary to protect patient safety. He apologised to patients facing long waits and said staff were working to increase discharges, with hopes that more than 200 patients would return home on the day of the announcement.
The trust has asked families and carers to prioritise collecting relatives as soon as they are ready to leave hospital, including making arrangements earlier in the day where possible and ensuring medication and a warm home environment are prepared in advance. It has also urged the public to consider alternatives to attending A&E unless there is a genuine emergency, such as contacting NHS 111, visiting pharmacies or using urgent treatment centres for minor injuries and illnesses. Patients with pre-booked appointments have been told to attend as normal unless contacted.
• Updates: Critical Incident declared at Nottingham Hospitals
To address the pressures, the hospitals are creating additional bed capacity, asking staff to work extra shifts and working with partner organisations to improve patient flow and speed up safe discharges. The trust has also advised people not to visit hospital if they have flu or other respiratory symptoms to reduce the risk of infection.
