Hospitals serving South Holland continue to struggle under winter pressure.
Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, Peterborough City Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital at King’s Lynn remain extremely busy this week, with black alerts – an indication of extreme pressure – still in place.
Michelle Rhodes, director of operations at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs Pilgrim – said: “The whole of the NHS in Lincolnshire continues to face significant demand on its services.
“The quality and safety of patient care is ULHT’s number one priority and we are working closely with our health partners in the community to help discharge medically fit patients as quickly as possible.
“This also involves using community bed capacity for patients who are aren’t ill enough to be in hospital but aren’t well enough to be discharged home.
“However, we still have a high number of very sick patients on our wards with complex health needs.
“A&E remains open as usual but is exceptionally busy.”
She added: “We would ask people to only attend A&E with serious or life threatening illnesses and to seek alternative support for on-going problems or minor injuries. Those who attend with minor conditions will still be treated, but will have long waits.”
A spokesman for Peterborough City Hospital said: “Since Monday, January 5, our hospital has been under extreme pressure as a result of greater levels of emergency admissions and fewer patients being discharged, and we remain under sustained severe pressure.”
And Queen Elizabeth Hospital remained on “external black alert” on Tuesday.
A spokesman said: “As a result the hospital has had to cancel some elective operations. It is working with the CCG, other partners and the community to ensure that medically fit patients are able to leave the hospital at the earliest opportunity.
“Such decisions are made in the interests of patient safety and this status will be reviewed hourly.”
Johnson Community Hospital in Pinchbeck has extended its services to help ease demand on A&E departments. Click here for report.
