Portsmouth council leader blames government for health crisis

University Hospital Southampton is among those facing a "perfect storm" of staff illness and high Covid rates

The crisis facing hospitals across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is of the government's own making, a council leader has claimed.

The Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) in Portsmouth and South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) declared "critical incidents" earlier this week.

Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson blamed changes in social care funding and recruitment issues.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for a comment.

SCAS has since moved out of its critical incident status but says pressures "remain significant".

Almost all hospital beds in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are full because of rocketing Covid rates and increased demand, health bosses have said.

Gerald Vernon-Jackson said the solution to the crisis was in the government's hands

More than 2,800 NHS staff are believed to be off sick, reflecting pressure on the health service across the country.

University Hospital Southampton said it remained under "significant pressure" due to the mix of Covid and norovirus cases within the hospital along with staff sickness levels at double the expected rate.

Dr Derek Sandeman, chief medical officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System, told the BBC: "Managing the flows and providing the care for a number of people who need us at the moment feels more difficult than at any point over the last three years.

"I think most people who have worked in the health service have never found a moment quite as difficult at this."

Mr Vernon-Jackson said ambulances wasted 233 hours waiting to discharge patients into the QA hospital last weekend.

He said part of the problem was the government had recently abolished funding which allowed the health care sector to purchase places in nursing homes for hospital patients.

"We used to have convalescence homes in the old days but we don't have those now because the NHS has shut them down to concentrate on critical care," he said.

Queen Alexandra Hospital's A&E is only accepting patients with urgent or life-threatening conditions

The leader of the Liberal Democrat minority administration added the government could improve matters by making it easier for people to get GP appointments and use pharmacists.

Mr Vernon-Jackson also called for the rules around the recruiting of European care workers, affected by changes to the immigration system post-Brexit, to be relaxed.

The leaders of the Conservative and Labour groups have been contacted for comment.

Portsmouth University Hospitals posted on social media on Wednesday saying A&E would only take patients with urgent or life-threatening conditions.

Many of those who commented blamed restrictions on face-to-face appointments at GP surgeries.

"Surgeries need to start opening their doors again and make it easier for patients", said one.

"People are going to A&E as it's almost impossible to see a doctor," said another.

More than 650 people with Covid are currently being treated in Hampshire hospitals, more than two-and-a-half times more than in early January during the peak of winter.

Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group said almost half of staff sicknesses were due to Covid.