Portsmouth hospital trust returns to critical incident as emergency department becomes full

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) has declared another critical incident.

The trust says the hospital and emergency department at the Queen Alexandra are full, with demand outstripping the capacity available in Portsmouth and South-East Hampshire.

Bosses are now calling on the public to help ease the pressure by taking relatives and friends home as soon as they are able to leave hospital.

The trust had previously declared a critical incident on 20 December, after what was described as 'excessive delays'.

Dr John Knighton, Medical Director at PHU said: "Every time one patient leaves hospital it helps a further four patients move through the hospital to ensure they get the care they need in a timely way.

"This means the emergency department is free for those that need lifesaving care, and ambulances are able to quickly return to the community to provide emergency support to people."

Friends and family that are able to do this are being asked to speak to healthcare professionals on the ward about how they can help, and if they can support a patient being discharged a few days earlier.

Liz Rix, Chief Nurse said: "We know that the longer a patient stays in hospital the greater the risk of deconditioning where immobility and inactivity causes muscle weakness, walking difficulty and an increased risk of falls and injury."