Half of hospitals declare major red alerts and bed shortages in middle of NHS meltdown
Last week a record number of hospitals had to declare major alerts or send patients elsewhere for treatment
ALMOST half of NHS trusts declared major hospital alerts last week.
A total of 68 out of 152 in England had to act due to bed shortages or overflowing A&Es.
And 27 trusts were so overwhelmed they issued an alert every day from January 7 to 13.
That is despite the overall number of A&E attendances falling 29,000 compared with the previous week.
A record 61 trusts sounded a red alert on Monday the 9th.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine said medics faced serious problems which could put patient safety at risk.
There were 52 occasions when A&Es closed their doors to ambulances from January 9 to 15.
Hospitals have 95.8 per cent of beds full.
That’s up from 94.8 per cent the previous week and 95.2 per cent for the same period last year.
Anything above 85 per cent increases the risk of patient infection.
There were also higher reports of vomiting bug norovirus.
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There have been 3,049 cases in hospitals this year, 75 per cent higher than last year.
Across the week, 82 people were admitted to intensive care or high dependency units with flu, while 11 died.
It takes the number of flu deaths this winter to 45.
Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb said: “I don’t know how bad the figures need to get for the Government to take action.”
NHS England said last week’s rise in major alerts was partly due to the way it records data.
It added: “A&E departments remain under pressure, with flu cases set to increase and norovirus still higher than last year.”
200 SHUT PRACTICES
ALMOST 200 GP practices shut last year.
Tables published by NHS Digital list just 7,532 open across England, down by 181.
Seven practices closed in Brighton over two years, affecting more than 30,000 patients.
The British Medical Association fears closures are at record levels due to increased workloads and lack of funding.
Last month Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said patients face waiting a month to see a family doctor as surgeries struggle with demand.