Hospital that’s 104% full

HOSPITAL staff are ‘on their knees’ dealing with unprecedented pressures and corridors packed with patients, leaked memos reveal.

The memos reveal Southmead Hospital in Bristol has reached 10 per cent capacity, with 51 patients stuck in corridors.

One of them, from North Bristol NHS Trust chief executive Andrea Young, said the hospital had hit breaking point as 2 0 to 260 patients pour into A&E every day.

Another memo from clinical director Tim Whittlestone read: ‘Acute medical physicians have been on their knees with workload pressure.’ He described the number of patients as ‘unprecedented’. The hospital briefly declared a black alert, signifying it was at full capacity.