Every hospital in the UK is under great pressure, and health leaders have warned that the further spread of the new Covid virus is “a very heavy straw on the camel’s back”.
At least eight hospitals have declared a serious accident, canceled their operations or asked people not to come to the emergency and fire department unless they were seriously ill last week. One of Britain’s top emergency physicians said there were links between such incidents and the rapid rise in the number of hospital admissions for Covid, which rose by nearly 37% in a week to 7,024. While the Office for National Statistics said it was too early to say whether it was a wave As COVID-19 has begun, health leaders said ministers need to urgently address staffing shortages.
Dr Adrian Boyle, incoming president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told observer: “Our system is under-resourced. We don’t have enough beds, we don’t have the workforce to meet the demand we are being asked to deal with.
“Covid is making everything more difficult, and it is absolutely correct to associate this with critical incidents being called across the country. All hospitals are feeling significant levels of pressure right now. Covid is a very heavy straw on the camel’s back.”
The first signs of an increase in Covid-19 infections came in southwest England. Last Friday, NHS Devon warned people to “wait longer than usual” in emergency departments. Darren Alcorn, NHS Devon Chief Nurse, said people who came to A&E without a life-threatening emergency “may be directed to a more appropriate service”.
Hospital trusts in the Midlands and the North have announced that they are struggling to meet demand. The University of Nottingham Hospital Trust has declared a serious incident, postponed some operations due to extreme stress, and by Friday the alert had been expanded to the whole of Nottinghamshire.
In neighboring Lincolnshire, routine operations have been canceled at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, with Northern Lincolnshire and the Jules NSS Trust saying there has been a significant increase in the number of people attending A&E.
The Royal Liverpool Hospital said space in emergency departments was very limited, and St George’s Hospital in London had asked people to go to the emergency department only in serious cases.
Boyle, who took office this week, said the first adhesive tape should be applied to welfare. “We need to use the beds we have as efficiently as possible. This means social care triage, so that people are not kept in hospital waiting to leave.”
The specter of a “pandemic” of influenza and Covid, he said, means the winter “could get very bleak” – “like two bullies on the playground coming together and forming a gang”. “What happens to urgent and emergency care, especially ambulance deliveries and long waits in emergency departments — this has to become a political priority. We need leadership and we need grip and investment.”
Last week, research by the Nuffield Trust revealed that a record number of nurses were quitting the NHS, with one in nine leaving their jobs.
Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said the increase in Covid cases and hospitalizations “should be a cause for concern” and called on nurses to get the highest quality PPE.
“As we approach winter, it is important that healthcare leaders remain vigilant and are ready to act to prevent any further spread of the virus. We have all seen what happened last winter and no one wants to take a step back.”
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said funds were becoming more adept at dealing with Covid, for example, by creating ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ sites.
“But we have to be clear that we are back to levels with an R above one in many places. We need to think about the impact not only on patients but also on staff, and what it means for them to go through this again. With the outbreak of this winter, We will see a rise in demand and more employees will be absent.”
She said Therese Coffey, the health minister, should focus on vaccines and support the NHS workforce.
Dr. Vena Raleigh, senior fellow at the King’s Trust, said Covid was the sixth leading cause of death, with more than 300 people dying each week.
“[That is] A stark reminder that this virus remains a threat for the foreseeable future. “Although it is early days, this rise in cases is in line with what was expected as winter approaches. Acting now to prevent further hospitalizations and deaths is critical.”
Raleigh said people at risk of contracting Covid should be vaccinated as soon as possible. “This is particularly important for people from disadvantaged minorities and ethnic minorities, given the disproportionately brutal impact of Covid-19 on them.” She added that wearing masks on public transport and in crowded places would also help.
Since the spring of this year, total deaths have been much higher than expected compared to previous years, in part due to Covid-19 deaths. There is a real danger that the excess death toll will rise. The NHS has been overstretched even during the summer months when the demand for healthcare is usually lower, and winter will bring additional stresses. We therefore urge the government to address the long-standing shortfalls in NHS staffing and funding in the NHS and social care services that preceded the pandemic and continue to limit the ability to meet the needs of patients.”
from San Jose News Bulletin https://sjnewsbulletin.com/latest-covid-outbreak-is-heavy-straw-on-the-camels-back-for-every-uk-hospital-corona-virus/
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