HOSPITAL bosses have spoken of their desperate struggle to cope with the A&E crisis.

Andy Ennis, the chief operating officer at the Royal Bolton Hospital, told a meeting the situation needs to improve as a matter of urgency.

Meanwhile David Wakefield, chairman of the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, described the issue as a ‘tsunami’ that won’t stop until more investment is put into training, A&E departments and social care.

He said there was a shortage of doctors and nurses in the hospital.

Both men were speaking at the council of governors meeting at the Royal Bolton, explaining to members why they called a ‘major incident’ — normally used in the incidence of a big road accident or gas explosion — on Tuesday, January 6.

The trust was one of several hospitals to take the drastic action, and it is the only time in its history it has publically declared a ‘major incident’ because it cannot cope with the demand on its services.

Mr Ennis said the hospital has seen a deteriorating position in its waiting time performance at A&E since October, when they were recording 20 ‘breaches’ a day.

By the start of January they amount had trebled to 60 a day — while for the last two years it has been one of the best performing centre in Greater Manchester.

Mr Ennis said: “On Tuesday morning when I arrived at work around 7am there were six ambulances parked up. 19 patients were waiting for a bed. At 9am I realised A&E was going to be at a dangerous level all day.

“We had already cancelled non-emergency operations, and fundamentally the decision was about the safety of our patients and our staff.

“We had to change and break the cycle, and calling a major incident creates a political wave and sends a message out.”

The situation has improved since then, Mr Ennis explained, but services in the community are lagging behind despite the hard work of staff.”

He said: “I am so proud to work here because the staff have been fantastic.

“There have been frustrations and there have been some tears at times.

“I have had to send people home after working 12 hours shifts because I need them back in.”

The Bolton News told last week how MP David Crausby blamed a crisis in social care for the issues, leading to ‘bed blocking’ as patients weren’t able to leave hospital.

On the morning of the ‘major incident’ the equivalent of three wards of patients were waiting on social care packages before they were able to leave hospital, the meeting heard.

But David Wakefield, chairman of the trust, said the reasons behind the problems were more complex.

He said: “We always knew that a tsunami was going to hit.

“There was a small earthquake under the water some time ago, and the ripples have now reached.

“It is not the numbers, it is actually that there are more elderly patients, they are sicker and they are taking longer to treat.

“I have got sicker patients, they can’t go home because there is no one to look after them and care plans are taking longer to put in place.

“I am not blaming anybody, I’m stating what I believe is going on — our A&E people are working really really hard... but a tsunami has hit and we haven’t got enough resources in A&E or social care to deal with it.”

The Royal Bolton was given a target to reduce admission this year by 3.5 per cent, but instead the number has increased almost six per cent compared with 2014.

Mr Wakefield warned unless there is high-level intervention and investment to stop people coming into hospital in the first instance the hospital will continue to struggle.

He added: “I think there is a second tsunami coming. We don’t have enough doctors, we don’t have enough nurses

“I’m not aware of any particular government action in place to tackle that. I think that it will get worse before it gets better.”