University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) and the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board have declared a critical incident at UHL this morning, due to significant pressures.
Our hospitals are seeing a higher than usual number of patients needing care. This is creating a challenging ambulance handover situation and limited ability to discharge patients to onward care or home. The Emergency Department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Clinical Decisions Unit at Glenfield Hospital are particularly busy, and people may have much longer than usual waits for their care and admission to our wards. We apologise to anyone affected by this.
Essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them and anyone who has an appointment over the coming days should attend unless they are contacted directly.
Andrew Furlong, Medical Director at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “The safety of patients and the wellbeing of our colleagues remain our top priorities as we work together to care for the people who need us.
“Please only attend the Emergency Department for life-threatening illness or injury that cannot be treated elsewhere, this allows us to treat those who are most seriously ill.
“If you need care urgently but it’s not life threatening, please call NHS 111 or use 111 online where trained advisors can support you in getting care in the right place for your needs.
“I would like to thank our incredible teams across the health and social care sector for their continued efforts in keeping our patients safe.”
How does declaring a critical incident help?
Declaring a critical incident allows health and care partners to take additional steps in the way services are managed so we can maintain safety for our patients and help staff manage the growing pressures we are experiencing. This includes focusing workforce on areas where most needed, asking some staff to come back from annual leave to work, and using all capacity possible across the health system.
What can I do to help?
- Only call 999 or come to the Emergency Department in a life or limb threatening emergency
- When you need urgent medical care but it’s not an emergency, please visit NHS 111 online or call NHS111 for advice on how to get the care you need at any time of day or night. If needed, they can book you an appointment or arrival time at one of several urgent care services across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. You can find details on the Get In The Know website.
- Think Pharmacy First. Pharmacists can help with many illnesses. They can give advice and treatments that don’t need a prescription. Many can also give you prescription medicine for some conditions, so you don’t need to see a GP. Find a pharmacy near you.
Where can I get more information about local services?
For more information on where to go for healthcare in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland visit the Get In The Know website.
For more information, please contact:
communications@uhl-tr.nhs.uk