Isle of Wight NHS Trust declares critical incident

The NHS trust has announced a critical incident due to high demand

Isle of Wight NHS Trust has declared a critical incident to protect patient safety.

The hospital released a statement on Tuesday saying wards and the emergency department are full.

The trust said demand for emergency and urgent care is "far outstripping the capacity the hospital has" and people are waiting a long time for a bed.

Staff are calling on the community to help the situation by taking their relatives or friends home.

Hospital staff are calling on the community to help by taking relatives or friends home

Victoria Lauchlan, interim chief operating officer, said: "As soon as a person is medically ready to leave hospital, they should be discharged to their place of residence.

"Every time one patient leaves hospital it helps patients move through the hospital to ensure they get the care they need.

"This means the emergency department is free for those that need lifesaving care, and ambulances are able to quickly return to the community to provide emergency support to people."

Medical director Steve Parker added: "To protect the life-saving services we provide we are asking for everyone's support including local GPs, care homes and island residents.

"You can help by visiting 111 online or speaking to your pharmacist, GP or practice nurse in the first instance for support with coughs, colds, rashes and diarrhoea and vomiting.

"It's also really important to keep warm and mobile and drink plenty of fluids as the weather gets colder. We are here if you need us but please be patient as our teams are doing all they can."

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