Cornwall hospitals declare internal 'critical incident'

The Royal Cornwall Hospital said bed blocking had been an issue for months

Bosses of hospitals in Cornwall have declared an internal critical incident due to "acute pressure" on beds.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) said bed blocking, which had risen by more than 20% since April, had been holding up ambulances.

People with non-emergency needs have been asked to contact their GPs, see pharmacists or call 111.

Families with relatives in hospital have also been asked if they could help get patients "home sooner".

The Royal Cornwall Hospital, near Truro, has been reporting for months that beds are being blocked by patients who are medically fit to be discharged but have no care services ready for them.

Bed blocking was affecting other services in the hospital and across the health system in Cornwall, it said.

The trust said earlier this month it had tried to discharge up to 200 people, equivalent to seven full wards, from the Royal Cornwall Hospital alone.

Trust chief executive Steve Williamson said declaring the incident would help get support from health and care partners "to take additional and immediate steps to create capacity".

Covid-positive inpatients had increased in the past week but they were "not impacting hugely on the availability of beds", he added.

He said: "Our population can help too by making sure they make the right choice if they need urgent care, either by contacting their own GP, even if here on holiday, seeing a pharmacist or calling 111 for advice on the most appropriate place for their needs."