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Hospitals issue warnings due to increased patient numbers

Many hospitals across the UK have issued warnings to the public as they are struggling to cope this winter.

A third of hospital trusts announced they needed urgent action to manage the increasing amount of patients.

Operations have been cancelled and patients were left waiting on trolleys meaning they have been unable to give patients comprehensive care.

Hannah Bottomley, solicitor in medical negligence at PotterReesDolan, said:

It seems like we report on the same problems in the NHS every winter. However, these findings are deeply worrying as the seven NHS Trusts who indicated they are unable to provide comprehensive care to their patients are placing those patients at risk. Many other hospitals have been reported as cancelling operations and leaving patients on trolleys in corridors in order to meet demand as best they can.

These sorts of actions, whilst taken in response to an emergency situation, put patient’s safety at risk and pose a serious threat for patients suffering life changing injuries and disabilities due to delays in treatment.

Some hospitals said how the patients coming through the doors are clinically sicker and so more people are in need of hospital beds.

This also results in patients needing to stay in hospital for longer periods of time as they have more things wrong with them.

A new recording system for this winter has been put in place to replace the traditional system of hospitals declaring black or red 'alerts'.

NHS England have said that the public should avoid going to A&E unless it is an emergency and to use pharmacies or NHS 11 for medical advice.

Hannah Bottomley is a clinical negligence solicitor with PotterReesDolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues or indeed any other aspect of this article and wish to speak to Hannah or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888 or email Hannah.

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