Hospital bosses in Bristol have advised people they might be redirected away from A&E if their condition isn’t bad enough to be treated in hospital, as the wave of influenza continues to put pressure on the NHS in the city.
People have been advised to wear masks if they are going to hospital in Bristol, and staff are being told to wear them too, but neither of the trusts that run the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southmead Hospital have declared a ‘critical incident’ yet – something which has happened at other hospitals across the country.
With the numbers of people in hospital higher than usual, even for the middle of winter, and regular queues of ambulances waiting for space to handover patients to the Emergency Care departments at both Bristol’s main hospitals, health trust bosses have reassured people in Bristol that if they do need emergency care they will still be seen, but they could be pointed in the direction of a pharmacy, doctors or minor injuries unit if that’s more appropriate.
Prof Steven Hams, the chief nursing officer for North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead, said appointments are going ahead as normal at Southmead Hospital, even though they are ‘currently very busy’ with a ‘significant increase’ in the number of inpatients who have tested positive for flu.
And a spokesperson for the UHBW Trust, which runs the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Weston General, said they ‘strongly encourage’ people to wear face masks if they are in hospital or visiting.
“There is an increase in the number of flu cases across the country, and our Emergency Departments are busy,” the UHBW spokesperson said. “We strongly encourage people to wear face masks to protect against the spread of respiratory viruses this winter when in our hospitals.
“We continue to see patients across all our Emergency Departments, but we do advise people to make sure they are using the most appropriate service for their needs. Pharmacies, 111 and minor injury units are available for non-life threatening illnesses and ailments,” she added.
At Southmead, Prof Hams said people turning up to A&E could be seen and turned away from further treatment, if they could be seen somewhere else. “In line with the wider NHS, Southmead Hospital is currently very busy, with a significant increase in the number of inpatients who have tested positive for flu,” he said.
“We continue to see unwell patients across our Emergency Care Service and all appointments are going ahead as normal; however, we would like to remind the public of alternative services such as pharmacies and 111, both online and by phone, which are more appropriate for minor ailments. All patients are clinically triaged upon arrival to our Emergency Department and you may be redirected to an alternative service if your condition does not require treatment in a hospital setting.
“We are incredibly grateful to our staff for their continued efforts in caring for patients during this particularly busy time – and would also like to thank the public for their ongoing support,” he added.
UHBW has already been advising patients and visitors to wear face masks to protect themselves and others from respiratory illnesses like flu since the start of this winter. They are urging people to support the NHS in a number of different ways. “Getting vaccinated is still the best protection against flu, and it is not too late to get one if you are eligible,” a spokesperson for UHBW said.
“If you have a loved one in hospital you can support them to get home sooner by making sure they have everything they need for discharge and that the place they are being discharged to is ready for them. Thank you to the public for their ongoing support, and thank you to all our colleagues for their hard work,” she added.