Covid: Hospital trusts declare critical incidents over staff shortages

Several hospital trusts have declared critical incidents amid staff shortages and rising pressures due to Covid-19.

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and Great Western Hospitals in Wiltshire have all been hit hard.

Derriford hospital in Plymouth has problems offloading ambulances, and has recorded nearly 500 staff absences.

Critical incidents are declared when health bosses are concerned they cannot provide priority services.

This includes treatment for cancer or heart disease patients.

Speaking in a Downing Street press conference earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the NHS was facing “huge pressures”.

He said some services would be disrupted by staff absences but pledged to “fortify” the health service to withstand the pressures and protect supply chains.

England’s chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty also acknowledged some hospitals would come under “very substantial pressure over the next couple of weeks” with high numbers of staff absences compounding typical winter pressures.

Meanwhile the highest number of people have tested positive or Covid in the UK with a total of 218,724, the latest figures show.

However, that does include tests recorded on some previous days, with not all cases being reported over Christmas.

There were 15,044 patients with Covid in hospital on Tuesday morning including 797 requiring mechanical ventilation.

READ MORE: BBC.COM