A hospital trust tonight declared a 'critical incident' over what it called 'immense pressure on its services' on the eve of tomorrow's ambulance service strike.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it was currently facing 'exceptionally high levels of occupancy, growing pressure on our services and unprecedented attendances' at the A&E department of the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan.
In a stark Twitter message, the trust said: "Our A&E is full. Do not attend, unless you have a life or limb-threatening emergency."
Bosses added there would now be a 'major focus on discharging patients who are ready to leave our hospitals' so critically-ill patients can be treated. The move represents an escalation in the situation and means some non-urgent operations and appointments will be cancelled, the trust confirmed.
The declaration - one of a number of similar moves adopted by hospital trusts nationally today, but believed to be the first in Greater Manchester - comes hours after a senior clinician at the hospital issued a heartfelt plea to the public, speaking of 'unprecedented conditions'.
Dr Muhammad Saleem Nasir, A&E Consultant and Clinical Director at the hospital's Emergency Department, said: "We are appealing to our local community due to unprecedented conditions on the emergency department at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary. We are asking that people only attend the A&E with life or limb threatening conditions and serious illness or injuries.
"The safety of our patients and our staff is always our top priority. However, in order to maintain the safety of our services we must prioritise the treatment for patients with life-threatening conditions and injuries.
It echoes a plea made by hospital bosses in Bolton on Monday, as seven ambulances were pictured waiting outside Royal Bolton Hospital's A&E department hours after the trust warned of 'extremely long waits' for non-urgent patients and urged people to 'think twice' before attending.
In an updated statement, the trust said: "We are also seeing ongoing challenges in discharging our patients who are well enough to leave hospital, which has a direct impact on the number of beds available for patients who are in desperate need of medical attention.
"As a result of this ongoing pressure, the trust has escalated its position to a critical incident, which means WWL can take additional action to maintain safe services for our patients and tackle this increasing pressure.
"Unfortunately, this does mean some non-urgent operations and appointments will need to be re-arranged to allow our teams to care for patients with the most urgent needs. If you are not contacted directly, please continue to turn up for your appointment.
"The safety of our patients and our staff is always our top priority and we are working through who needs our help as quickly and as safely as we can. We must prioritise treatment for patients with life and limb-threatening conditions and injuries.
"The Emergency Department is not always the first place to come when you require medical attention, and the alternatives out there can get people seen quicker and in a more appropriate place. If your condition is not life or limb-threatening, visit NHS 111 online in the first instance, contact your GP, contact a local pharmacy for advice, or visit an Urgent Treatment Centre, such as the one we have Leigh. If you are directed to alternative care facilities, please accept the advice of our teams, as this will be in your best interest, and they are prioritising patients who are in desperate need of medical attention.
"We have a strong focus on safely discharging patients who are ready to leave our hospitals to make sure we can free up capacity for those who urgently require a hospital stay. Please help your loved ones if they are staying in hospital during the time they’re receiving care, through the discharge process and post-discharge when they need support at home. Recovery at home is always the best option, and our discharge teams will continue to help patients and families to make sure the transition to home is safe."
At least three ambulance services have declared critical incidents as NHS services around the country face 'unprecedented' pressure, ahead of planned strike action.
North East Ambulance Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service and the East of England Ambulance Service have all moved to the status as staff work to respond to calls. The services said they took the decision due to pressures including 999 call volumes and hospital handover delays, and that declaring the status allows them to instigate additional measures to protect patient safety.
It comes as fears grow over the impact of an ambulance strike on Wednesday, when thousands of paramedics, technicians, control room workers and other staff walk out.
Meanwhile, a critical incident was also declared at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, which said its emergency department was “full with patients that need admission” but that there was “limited space to treat patients with life-threatening conditions and injuries”.
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