Plea as hospital’s A&E department remains very busy

Peterborough residents are being urged to only call 999 in an emergency as Peterborough City Hospital’s A&E department remains very busy.

Over the bank holiday weekend there were reports of nine-hour waits, and also patients being forced to wait in ambulances for several hours due to a lack of beds.

Phil Walmsley, chief operating officer at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals said: “We’re sorry to hear that some patients have experienced a long wait in our emergency department. Over the bank holiday weekend we saw an increase in the number of patients attending our hospitals’ emergency departments and our staff always work incredibly hard to prioritise those patients who need urgent and emergency care.

“The public can help by calling NHS 111 first for help or advice, or by seeking appropriate treatment for minor injuries and illnesses from their local pharmacy or doctor’s surgery.”

The East Midlands Ambulance Service said Hospital-Ambulance Liaison Officers (HALO) work with hospitals to ensure those most urgently needing medical treatment are seen first, supporting the flow of patients into the emergency department.

The service said they had been very busy over the weekend, and urged people to only call 999 in emergencies, and use the 111 service if at all possible.

The Peterborough Telegraph contacted the East of England Ambulance Service but did not receive a response about the weekend situation.