Bolton NHS trust declares 3 critical incidents since October

The Bolton News has previously reported on the extreme pressures facing the hospital in recent times.

Now one in five patients have waiting an hour to be handed over to medics by paramedics.

Now it has emerged that the hospital has had to call for extra support.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has declared three critical incidents since October as it continues to battle "extreme pressures" this winter with Covid, flu and Strep A along with other usual winter bugs putting pressure on the system.

At the start of the month hospital workers reported soaring demand "over and above" previous challenges.

The busy wards proved to be some of the most challenging health care staff have had to deal with in recent months.

Declaring a critical incident allows the NHS to take additional steps to the way services are managed to maintain safety for patients and help staff manage the growing pressures.

This includes focusing workforce on areas where most needed, possibly asking some staff to come back from annual leave to work, and using all capacity possible.

Intervention and support from other agencies are required to restore services back to normal.

On each of the three occasions when this has happened, the NHS trust, which runs the Royal Bolton Hospital, has worked with partners to de-escalate the situation.

Cllr Sue Baines, cabinet minister for wellbeing, said: "The health system remains pressurised and is operating well in the circumstances and it is with thanks to all the staff and all the partners in Bolton."

She also said that in November and December last year nearly half the amount of people waiting for A&E treatment in Bolton had to wait longer than four hours (49.4 per cent).

Cllr Baines said this was a reduction from previous months and the figure to date for January was 53.29 per cent.

But on one day earlier this month (Tuesday, January 10) that ratio rocketed to 72 per cent.

Royal Bolton Hospital: A&E demand 'over and above' normal

Person turns up to A&E with chapped lips

There are 60 per cent of people waiting for elective care who are being seen within 18 weeks but this includes people outside of Bolton as Greater Manchester hospitals work together.

Cllr Baines added: "Our urgent care system has experienced extreme pressures like all other systems across the country.

"The pressures this winter have been far greater than ever and far greater than predicted with many people experiencing influenza , an increase in Covid and the much publicised Strep A infection for children.

"This taken alongside the normal winter bugs such as colds and norovirus presents a very high demand on NHS services including primary care."

Cllr Baines also said 21 per cent of patients had waited more than an hour to be handed over from the ambulance to the A&E department in October, November and December.

Over the Christmas period a dozen hospitals across the country declared critical incidents.

The winter has been described as one of the toughest in the history of the NHS.

Hospital bosses have made a number of urgent pleas to the public to only call 999 or attend accident and emergency departments if their condition is a life-threatening emergency.

Rae Wheatcroft, Chief Operating Officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Declaring OPEL4 (Operational Pressures Escalation Levels) allows us to focus our efforts on managing demand during periods of intense pressure, whilst ensuring we can continue to safely deliver essential services for our patients.

“We are really grateful for the support we’ve had from people who have only attended our Emergency Department when their condition is life-threatening or an emergency. This has helped us continue to treat the people who are most unwell, as soon as we possibly can.

“If people are unsure where to find the most appropriate service, they can use NHS 111 online or by phone where they will find expert advice about the care and treatment they need.”