MPs ask for help with 'perfect storm' hospital in Cornwall

There were 17 ambulances waiting outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital on Friday morning

MPs are asking for help from the government to deal with a "perfect storm" in the health system.

On Thursday, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust declared a critical incident in response to huge demand.

There have been more than 100 patients waiting to be seen in an emergency department designed for 40, and 25 ambulances waiting outside.

The hospital trust's medical director said the situation was improving slowly.

Steve Double, MP for Newquay and St Austell, said: "It is regrettably a sort of perfect storm of a number of factors coming together that is creating this unprecedented level of demand on our system."

Mr Double said he had spoken with health minister Ed Argar who was "asking for further details to see exactly what is going on and what further help could be made available".

Cherilyn Mackrory, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said she was "acutely aware of the current situation".

She added: "Whatever the hospital need to alleviate this pressure, I will do to try and help them.

Ms Mackrory said she had asked for "any additional support to help ease the pressure" on the trust.

Dr Allister Grant, medical director at RCHT, told BBC Radio Cornwall they were "making inroads" to the situation since declaring a critical incident.

Health and social care organisations across Cornwall are meeting three times a day whilst the incident remains in place.

He said: "This is a problem that has arisen because we are having too many people coming in through the front door and we are struggling to get people out and back in to community services.

"We have got over 100 patients in the trust who could be in alternative places like nursing homes, care homes or even in their own homes."

He said there was a particular difficulty finding suitable beds for people with complex dementia, with some being placed out of Cornwall.

"100 patients is four wards essentially and that would mean the hospital would run really well if we didn't have those patients in the wrong beds," he said.