Critical incident remains in place at hospital

A critical incident remains in place for a second day at a Surrey hospital, while others have warned of being under "extreme pressure" and being "very busy".

East Surrey Hospital in Redhill declared the critical incident on Thursday in order to "continue to deliver safe care to those who need it most", a spokesperson said.

Patients and visitors are required to wear a face mask in all clinical areas due to an increase in respiratory infections.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust, which operates the hospital, asked those with respiratory conditions, including Covid-19, to not visit unless for a booked appointment.

Ed Cetti, chief medical officer at the trust, said: "Due to high levels of demand and a sharp increase in winter viruses which is impacting staffing levels and how we move patients around our site, our services are under significant pressure."

He said staff were "working around the clock" to minimise disruption to those already on wards, to treat all patients coming into the emergency department, and discharging patients to free up beds.

Dr Cetti added: "Please only attend East Surrey Hospital in a life-threatening emergency."

Epsom and St Helier Hospital, which is part of a group with St George's in London, also issued a warning on Thursday, saying the hospitals were "very stretched and under extreme pressure".

Arlene Wellman, group chief nurse, said: "We expect to see higher demand during cold spells and in the days that follow, and are doing everything we can to handle this."

She said people could help by checking in on those who were vulnerable and using services best suited to patient needs, such as NHS 111.

Ashford and St Peter's Hospital also said emergency care services were "very busy".

A spokesperson advised people to choose "the most appropriate service", adding it may be "quicker" to go elsewhere if it is not an emergency.

Andrew Rhodes, joint chief medical officer for Surrey Heartlands NHS, said: "As pressures on hospital services increase across the county, and with a cold health alert now in place until next Wednesday, we are asking the public to help us make sure emergency care is available to those who need it most by using the right service for their health needs."

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