Doctors say stay away from A&E YAKUB QURESHI

MEDICS at Stepping Hill hospital’s A&E department are pleading for people to only attend in ‘absolute emergencies’ after facing intense pressure over the New Year weekend.

Stockport NHS Trust tweeted on New Year’s Eve that their accident and emergency department was ‘completely overwhelmed’. Beds were full and people who were not critically ill faced waiting for hours.

And the flood of people coming through the doors then continued for a second day - with hospital bosses again issuing their emergency-only plea.

New Year’s Eve is historically a busy time for emergency services and hospitals. Whereas Stepping Hill would typically see 40 people on an average night, by early evening on New Year’s Eve the figure had spiked to 68.

On New Year’s Day a spokesperson for Stockport NHS Trust said the situation was ‘no better’, with demand for services continuing at a high rate. By 5pm on New Year’s Day there were 75 people in A&E.

However, the hospital confirmed that the people that did attend were genuinely ‘very ill’ with lifethreatening conditions, rather than an influx of people seeking treatment for drink-related injuries.

The trust’s spokesman added that the people who had presented at A&E over the New Year has ‘done the right thing’ by seeking treatment – but renewed the plea for people not to waste thinlystretched resources.

“The plea is still the same”, she said, “only come if it’s an absolute emergency.

“Possibly expect a long wait, as we have to prioritise.

“And be patient with our staff who are working incredibly hard under very difficult circumstances.”

In July it emerged that 350 jobs would be axed at Stepping Hill Hospital as the trust admitted it has a deficit of £40m.

The trust said due to ‘severe financial challenges’ staff would be invited to take voluntary redundancies.

The following month inspectors raised serious safety concerns about ‘routine overcrowding’ at Stepping Hill Hospital’s A&E unit and ordered improvements to safeguard patients.

The Care Quality Commission report said the Stockport hospital is facing staffing problems and was failing to cope with the increased pressure on its A&E department.

The report cited ‘significant difficulties’ in A&E and said large numbers of patients ‘frequently and consistently experienced unacceptable waits’.

Despite the criticisms, several ‘outstanding’ areas were noted in the report.