Operations cancelled at Peterborough City Hospital due to bed blocking as '˜extraordinary number of patients' do not have appropriate support at home

Peterborough City Hospital Accident and Emergency unit

A ‘Significant Internal Incident’ was announced this morning (Tuesday, April 12) at the hospital in Bretton and senior staff with a clinical background are being freed from there usual duties to work in a patient facing capacity.

People with a minor injury or illness are now being asked to seek an alternative service than A&E.

Neil Doverty, chief operating officer at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Following an extremely busy weekend and Monday, our trust is currently caring for an extremely high number of patients at Peterborough City Hospital.

“The trust has therefore declared that it is operating under a status of ‘Significant Internal Incident’ this morning. This means we have no available bed space in the hospital and our Emergency Department is operating at full capacity.

“One of the reasons for this is that we have an extraordinarily high number of patients who are medically fit to leave the hospital, but whose discharge is delayed because they do not have the appropriate support at home.

“This is impacting patients in our Emergency Department who are having to wait for beds to become available.

“We are doing everything possible that we can to alleviate this situation, which includes freeing up all senior staff with a clinical background from their usual duties, to work in a patient facing capacity until further review.

“It is with regret that we have had to cancel 13 operations today and apologise to those patients affected. However, we must prioritise those patients who need our urgent attention.

“We are therefore asking members of the public who need treatment for a minor illness and injury not to make the journey to our Emergency Department, but to choose the following options:

. Call NHS 111 if you are unsure of the severity or urgency of your condition

. Make an appointment at your local GP surgery

. Visit your local chemist

. Go to the Minor Injury Unit at Stamford hospital – open from 9am to 5pm weekdays

. Visit the Minor Illness and Injury Unit on Thorpe Road – open daily from 8am to 8pm.

“We thank members of the public for their understanding and patience at this time.”