Unprecedented numbers of sick patients led to an ‘internal incident’ at Epsom General Hospital and St Helier Hospital.
A high number of people attending the hospitals’ A&E departments on Friday, January 6, led to the hospitals relying on additional consultants and extra staff as a ‘humanitarian crisis’ struck the UK.
From December 2016: Patients at increased risk of infection because hospitals so full, report warns
From December 2016: Surge in number of winter month patients revealed during Lib Dem leader’s visit
The ‘internal incident’ on Friday lasted between 8.45am and 7.45pm.
St Helier Hospital in Wrythe Lane, Carshalton
That same day, The British Red Cross’ chief executive Mike Adamson said there was a “humanitarian crisis” in the UK’s hospital and ambulance services, while the latest figures showed overflowing A&E departments shutting their doors to patients more than 140 times in December.
Prime Minister Theresa May rejected the claim, but acknowledged there were "huge pressures" on the NHS.
From April 2015: Secret plans to close Epsom and St Helier and build new "super hospital" overheard on train
A spokesman from health campaigners Keep Our St Helier Hospital (KOSHH) said: “KOSHH are not in the least bit surprised to learn that our local hospitals have struggled to keep up with demand of late, during the manufactured crisis currently affecting vast swathes of England's health service.
“Indeed the problems which we are now hearing about are precisely what we at KOSHH have been warning about for some years now, and we should stress that it gives us absolutely no pleasure to again have been proved right on this matter.
“Nor are we surprised, that the wonderful, committed and hardworking staff at Epsom & St Helier Hospitals managed to cope as well as possible with the increased demand, in spite of the unsustainable pressure and unrealistic cuts, which have been imposed upon them.”
An Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust (ESTH) spokesman said the Trust was “able to rise to the challenge” of the ‘internal incident’.
The spokesman added: “We have an excellent track record in delivering the A&E standard and working closely with our partners in community and social care to ensure people receive the right health care in the right setting.
“We are receiving an exemplary level of support from our partners in the local health and care system.”
The NHS requires hospitals to enable 95 per cent of all patients attending A&E departments to be treated, admitted or discharged within a maximum of four hours.
Epsom and St Helier Hospitals had a 97 per cent rate in September 2016 (the most recent figures available).
The spokesman added: “As our hospitals remain very busy at the moment, patients coming to A&E who do not need emergency care are likely to be in for a long wait.
“We know that’s not ideal for our patients so we would encourage people to follow the advice below.”
Keep Our St Helier Hospital hold its next meeting at 7.30pm on February 16 at the Modern Baptist Church in Crown Lane, Morden. For more information, visit http://koshh.org/
Got a story? Get in touch at craig.richard@london.newsquest.co.uk
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