‘Crisis’ in Hull hospitals as council leader calls on Health Secretary to ‘urgently’ visit
Coun Mike Ross told LDRS the growth of waiting times in A&E showed how serious the situation is in local hospitals.
He added waits of 12 hours or more and the pressure staff were under could not go on after visiting Hull Royal Infirmary’s A&E department himself in this week.
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Hide AdIt comes after coun Ross wrote to Health Secretary Therese Coffey inviting her to visit Hull to see how bad the situation had become in local hospitals.
The letter also called on Ms Coffey to send more money to the local NHS to stop services being stretched beyond breaking point.
The council leader’s letter follows a call for patients to avoid A&E unless absolutely necessary from the NHS trust which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust (HUTH) said patients should instead call 111, go to their nearest Urgent Treatment Centre or see their GP for a routine medical issue.
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Hide AdThe trust said: “Our hospitals are facing unprecedented levels of demand right now.
“Extremely long waits are being experienced by patients at A&E due to our need to prioritise the most seriously ill.”
Visitors to A&E have said they have waited as long as 13 hours for treatment, with reports of others being treated in ambulances.
coun Ross said the Trust’s warning underscored how serious the situation is.
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Hide AdThe council leader said: “I visited A & E and I was given a tour around, I saw for myself how serious the situation is.
“What I saw was so many people there, having to wait for so long.
“And I got the sense from speaking to medics that they just want to do the best for the patients there but it was so difficult to do so with the way things are.
“That cannot be allowed to go on, it’s not good for patients and their families having to wait for so long for treatment and it’s also not good for staff who are facing tremendous pressure.
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