Norfolk and Waveney NHS services end 'critical incident' after hiring hotel rooms for patients

An NHS health body which hired hotel rooms to discharge bedblocking patients has moved off critical incident status, but warned it continues to face huge pressures.

The Norfolk and Waveney Health and Care Partnership remains on Level 4, its highest alert level, three weeks after it declared the critical incident.

The partnership said that discharging patients who are well enough to leave hospital remained one of the most important issues it needed to focus on to free up capacity in hospitals.

It has trying several approaches, including the creation of a temporary "care hotel" in Norwich providing short term support for patients well enough to leave hospital.

The partnership, which includes the Norfolk and Norwich, James Paget and Queen Elizabeth hospitals in Norfolk, is appealing for people to use their services responsibly as demand with normal winter pressures on top of Covid means they are still under considerable pressure.

Cath Byford, chief nurse at the Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Despite the health and care system leaving 'critical incident' status, it does not mean that health and care services are not facing pressure. It simply means that as a system, we have got to a position whereby we can more easily manage the flow of patients.

“We need everyone across Norfolk and Waveney to continue to using health and care services wisely, making best use of local GP practices, pharmacies, NHS 111 and local walk-in centres.

"This means that at our hospitals and across the system, we can treat and care for those who are very poorly.”