Ops delayed as hospitals hit by winter influx

CHIEFS GO BACK ON WARDS TO HELP AND EXTRA BEDS BROUGHT INTO USE TO AVERT CRISIS

OPERATIONS at Derby’s hospital are being postponed to cope with a huge influx of extra patients.

Bosses have also gone back on the wards in bid to relieve winter pressures.

OPERATIONS have been postponed and bosses are back on the front-line as Derby’s hospital faces one of its busiest Januarys on record.

Just 10 days into the new year, a health trust has had to rearrange 30 non-urgent operations at the Royal Derby Hospital and Burton’s Queen’s Hospital as its struggles to deal with an influx of patients during the winter, which includes many people hospitalised due to flu complications.

However, it said no scheduled cancer operations have been cancelled.

Some hospital bosses are also returning to their departments to help staff on the front-line deal with the volume of patients.

And extra beds are being opened up in Derby and Burton.

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust has a total of 29 in-patients across its five hospitals suffering with flu alone, and has treated 78 for the illness in January 2019 so far.

This is in comparison to the same period last year from January 1 to January 10, which was another hugely busy year, when the trust dealt with slightly more flu cases at 123.

The five hospitals are: Derby, Burton, London Road Community Hospital in Derby, Lichfield’s Samuel Johnson and Tamworth’s Sir Robert Peel.

Earlier this week, its acute hospitals Burton and Derby - were seeing a total of around 140 admissions a day, compared to the usual total of around 95.

Dr Magnus Harrison, executive medical director at the trust, said: “January is always our busiest month but its thanks to our dedicated staff that we have continued to provide high quality and compassionate care to our patients.

“Despite increased pressures, we haven’t had to cancel any cancer operations and we have been able to care for all the patients who have needed to be admitted with flu.

“As part of our winter plan, we have opened up 24 additional beds at Derby’s London Road Community Hospital, while a 28-bed modular ward is due to open at the Royal Derby Hospital in the next two weeks.

“A further 28-bed ward will also open at Burton’s Queen’s Hospital.

“We are caring for more poorly patients who require a hospital bed, but those who can use an alternative NHS service that is right for them should do, whether that be NHS 111, a walk-in centre, their GP, or a pharmacist.”

Dr Harrison also told BBC Radio Derby he has had to cancel meetings so members of his team, three A&E consultants, can be available to treat patients.