Critical incident declared by Derbyshire's health and care services due to mounting pressure

A critical incident has been declared by Derbyshire's health and care services due to mounting pressure caused by the heatwave, Covid-19 and the pandemic backlog.

It's seen ambulances queuing up outside A and E departments and long waits for patients.

Health bosses have now agreed to buy care home beds from private providers to free up space in hospitals and are now urging people to see what they can do to ease pressure on NHS workers.

The start of this week saw the hottest days in the UK ever recorded, and despite records from Chesterfield Royal Hospital showing A&E attendance was broadly in line with it's current average, it's believed there is a time lag in evidence and that the impact of pressure caused by heat waves- which results in an increase in respiratory illness- could see increase within the next week.

Dr Mangus Harrison, the interim CEO of Derby and Burton NHS Trust said: "It's probably the most pressed I've ever seen us us in July, and if I compare us with winter it feels like a usual winter's day when we're really busy."

Derbyshire Community Health Services said there was a potential two to three week timescale to manage the rising pressure, with care home beds being bought today.

The Royal Derby Hospital has refused to provide their data for the moment.

Dr Harrison continued: "If you're sat outside an emergency department in the back of an ambulance there's only so much the ambulance service can do to look after you and there's only so much we can do to look after you.

"My main concern is the people who are ringing for an ambulance at home who we're not able to see, we're not able to get the ambulance assets there in the right way."

Dr Harrison said: "Our staff as always are working over and above what we'd expect them to. Two days of heat wave have been really difficult.

"Keeping the hospital cool has been really difficult so they've been working in really difficult environmental conditions in a way and then on top of that there's multiple attendances and you're not able top to do your job in the most effective way and that's often frustrating."

Health bosses want the public to help them them minimise the pressures. That means only attending A&E if you have a serious or life-threatening condition,  and have already tried other urgent treatment centres, GPs, pharmacies and the NHS 111 service.