A&E patients facing waiting time of up to 50 hours
PA MediaPatients at Royal Liverpool University Hospitalâs accident and emergency unit are facing waits of up to 50 hours.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has declared a âcritical incidentâ due to âexceptionally high demandâ on services and urged people to only go to A&E in a genuine medical emergency.
The hospital said it was âextremely busyâ amid a rising number of patients with flu and other respiratory conditions.
A trust spokesman said emergency measures had been put in place which would allow managers to call for extra help and to make changes to ensure patient safety.
He said the critical incident had been declared because of âexceptionally high demands on our emergency department, especially with flu and respiratory illnesses, and the number of patientsâ.
The decision had been taken âto support the safe care and treatment of our patients, which is our absolute priorityâ, he said.
The trust said managers were working with partners to ensure that those who are medically fit can leave hospital safely and at the earliest opportunity.
âRising flu casesâ
The trust spokesman said staff were âworking incredibly hardâ to treat people as quickly as possible but warned some patients will âexperience longer waits while we treat our sickest patientsâ.
Non-emergency patients are urged to instead use other services, such as a GP, a local pharmacy or walk-in centre.
âWe have seen an increasing number of people with flu and respiratory illnesses in our emergency departments in recent weeks,â the spokesman said.
For people who do go to the emergency department, they asked patients and visitors to follow additional infection control measures to help curb the spread of flu and norovirus.
âThis includes practising good hand hygiene, only visiting the areas they need to in our hospitals and wearing masks in clinical areas if asked to do so,â the spokesman said.
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