THREE major hospitals have pleaded with patients not to visit emergency rooms unless absolutely necessary.
People have been asked to call NHS 111 instead and warned of “extended waits” if they visit emergency departments with less serious conditions – with hospitals hit by “extremely high demand”.
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Patients were asked not to visit emergency departments at three major hospitals unless it was an emergencyCredit: PA
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Royal Glamorgan Hospital is one of the services in high demandCredit: Alamy
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Prince Charles Hospital in South Wales was also affectedCredit: Alamy
“The emergency services and departments at the Royal Glamorgan, Prince Charles and Princess of Wales Hospitals are extremely busy this week,” Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board in Wales said in an alert to patients.
“The Board of Health is seeking the support of local residents to help them deal with this high demand.”
Staff are said to be working hard to treat patients who present at hospitals requiring urgent and non-urgent care.
“However, with hospital beds already full and emergency departments seeing a higher than normal number of people seeking care, they are appealing to the public for their support,” the health board added.
Read more about winter pressures
The three hospitals in question – Royal Glamorgan, Prince Charles and Princess of Wales – are located in Ynysmaerdy, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend in Wales.
Their plea comes just days after Basingstoke and Winchester hospitals declared a critical incident due to a lack of beds, warning that it “does not have the capacity to accommodate any further patients requiring our care”.
A health board covering three Welsh hospitals has warned people visiting A&E that treating the “most seriously injured or ill patients” will be a priority.
“This means that even if you are there before someone else, but have a less serious condition, you will have to wait longer,” it said.
He asked patients with non-urgent medical conditions to delay visits to their local emergency department.
Instead, people are being urged to check the health board’s website for directions to other nearby services that may be able to help, including minor injuries, GPs, pharmacies and other professionals.
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“If you’re not sure what to do, use the NHS 111 Wales symptom checker for advice on where to go for non-urgent problems,” the health board added.
“This can save you an unnecessary trip to hospital or another NHS service and help you get the care or treatment you need faster.”
People whose loved ones are being discharged from hospital have also been asked to be prepared to help take them home.
“This could include making sure their home is warm and ready for them to return to or pick up from hospital,” explained Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
When to visit the emergency room
Patients with serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies are still encouraged to visit their local emergency departments.
“Remember, if you have any symptoms of a stroke, have severe blood loss or have suffered major trauma, call 999 or visit an ambulance straight away,” the health board stressed.
Symptoms of a stroke – caused by an interruption of blood flow to the brain – include weakness of the face or arms and problems with speech, as well as blurred vision, confusion, dizziness and a severe headache.
Other medical emergencies that require immediate medical attention include signs of a heart attack and seizures.
It comes after weeks of warnings about a “quadrudemic” of converging winter illnesses – flu, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which causes the common cold and norovirus.
The latest NHS figures show hospitals are being hit by a “flood” of holiday infections.
It has warned that one in every 18 hospital beds in England are occupied by people with flu – that’s a total of 2,504 beds, a sharp rise from the 1,861 occupied by flu patients the week before.
When to call NHS 111
Wondering when you should call NHS 111?
NHS 111 is for people who need medical help and advice when they are not in a life-threatening situation and/or their GP, pharmacy or dental surgery is closed.
The service can also be used when support is needed for mental health problems.
It is run by trained counselors, with the support of health workers, who are available 24/7 and 365 days a year.
They will be able to tell you what treatment you need for your problem and make an appointment with your GP, pharmacist or urgent care center if necessary.
If your situation is urgent, call 999.
Hospitals are also seeing an increase in patients with severe norovirus and RSV, which can lead to serious lung infections.
NHS National Health Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “The NHS has been hit hard by the early festive flu season, which has increased the pressure on staff as they prepare for the long winter ahead.
“In response to the flood of flu cases so early in the season, the NHS has made it as easy as possible for people to protect themselves with a jab, including vaccination centers in supermarket car parks and football clubs, helping to protect almost 29 million people across England – while opening more hospital beds.
“As children finish school and friends and families gather over the Christmas period, we expect viruses to continue to spread, so if you haven’t had your flu shot and are eligible, please get in touch, and the public should think twice about seeing loved ones if they are seriously ill.
“As the busy winter continues, I would remind anyone who needs medical help to continue to use 999 and 911 in an emergency, and for everything else, use NHS 111 or 111 online.”
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