Nottinghamshire critical incident continues amid rise in covid and flu patients

The incident covering the whole of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s NHS system was first declared on January 3.

A critical incident remains in place across Nottinghamshire’s hospitals amid an increase in the number of patients with flu and coronavirus. The incident covering the whole of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s NHS system was first declared on January 3 and remains in place nearly a week on.

An NHS organisation declares a critical incident when the level of pressure results in it losing its ability to deliver critical services. Declaring the incident means other NHS organisations can work closely with the affected area, sharing resources and ensuring demand from patients is spread more evenly.

The incident is regularly reviewed and, in the latest update on Tuesday (January 9), it was confirmed that it will remain in place. Dr Dave Briggs, the medical director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire said: “Our acute hospitals remain under extreme pressure, so the critical incident status covering the whole Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS system remains in place.

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“Although staffing levels have recovered, the increase in demand, particularly for patients presenting with seasonal and respiratory illnesses such as flu and Covid remains high. And with cold weather forecast to continue in the coming days, we are not yet in a position to step down the critical incident.”

Speaking about the reasons behind the critical incident, a spokesperson for Unison East Midlands said: “NHS staff in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, and across the East Midlands continue to be overworked and undervalued by the Government. While declaring a critical incident is the formal mechanism for signalling that priority services may be under threat, many hospitals suspended non-urgent appointments and surgery to avoid raising the alarm in the first place.

“Whether hospitals declare a critical incident or not, the consequences are still the same. With NHS vacancies in England exceeding 130,000 and experienced staff leaving in droves, health workers are operating at critical levels every single day.”

Officials have previously said that a rise in the number of patients combined with a reduction in staffing led to very long waits in A&E departments and for admission to wards. In terms of a reduction in staffing, a six-day strike by junior doctors has just concluded, but the British Medical Association has warned that its mandate to hold strikes lasts until the end of February and that it will look to extend that if necessary.

Junior doctors received an average pay rise of nearly 9% this financial year and the BMA is instead requesting a 35% pay rise, though the union says it would be happy for that rise to be spread over several years. But speaking during a recent visit to Nottinghamshire, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the county’s critical incident underlined the “damage” that strikes were causing.

Dr Briggs added: “This is not a decision that we take lightly and the status remains under constant review. We are grateful for the support and of the public and would ask them to continue to follow the advice to only attend A&E if there is a life-threatening emergency and use alternative services whenever possible and appropriate.”