Southmead Hospital returning back to normal

Staff at Southmead Hospital in Bristol insist the Emergency Department is returning to normal, after a leaked memo described patients filling corridors and equipment running out.

While staff admit last week was challenging they say this week has seen lower numbers of patients.

Southmead's Emergency Department is calmer today, unlike two days ago.

An internal memo sent to staff on Monday described the hospital as being packed full, and running out of equipment like flu masks and zimmer frames.

An unnamed member of staff described conditions as 'terrible'.

Southmead's bed occupancy rate reached 104% last week.

One part of the memo read: "The biggest risk remains patients in corridors in the Emergency Department with no allocated doctor, no allocated bed and no treatment. Some of these are very sick indeed."

Staff worked overtime and came in on their days off. But things are calming down.

Many of the extra patients had complications arising from flu, and that's a major problem for all our hospitals. There is more flu around than last winter and the outbreak's getting worse.