A&E patients to be streamed due to high demand

Rising rates of winter bugs are piling pressure on hospitals

A new streaming system is being launched to cope with high demand at the emergency department of Hull Royal Infirmary.

Staff stationed on the door of A&E will direct appropriate cases to the neighbouring urgent treatment walk-in centre.

A spokesperson for City Health Care Partnership CIC, which manages the walk-in centre, said: "The purpose of streaming is to quickly determine the most appropriate place for a patient.

"The aim is to free up vital resources and relieve pressure in the hospital."

Hospitals have been under huge strain due to rising rates of winter bugs, such as flu.

Last week, staff at Hull Royal were asked to wear face masks, and last month patients were urged to only bring one relative to A&E in order to free up space.

The £2.7m urgent treatment centre opened earlier this year, with the intention of reducing overcrowding and waiting times at A&E.

The spokesperson said the new streaming system would "allow us to deliver a high-quality patient-focused service at the front door".

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.