UPDATE: Critical Incident Declared By NHS Sussex

A critical incident has been declared by NHS Sussex across health services in Sussex to help ensure local people continue to get safe and quality care.

A statement on the University Hospital Sussex NHS Foundation Trust website said:

Unfortunately, it will be necessary for some non-urgent treatments and outpatients appointments to be rescheduled to accommodate patients with urgent clinical need.   

We are very sorry if your appointment / operation has had to be cancelled and for the inconvenience and distress this will have.  Regrettably, our hospitals, like many others across the UK, are experiencing unprecedented demand for our services and we have to take actions to also protect emergency services as well.   

The hospital will contact you at the earliest opportunity to rearrange your operation/appointment date.  Our A&Es remain open but are extremely busy and we are encouraging anyone with non-emergencies symptoms to contact their GP’s and/or 111 before attending.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during such difficult and exceptional circumstances.

UPDATE: 

Local people are being urged to continue to use health services appropriately after a critical incident was stepped down across the NHS in Sussex.

The local NHS decided to declare a critical incident last Friday (30 December 2022) ahead of the New Year weekend in response to the extreme pressure being seen across services. 

------

In other news, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), has thanked the public for its support in 'keeping 999 for emergencies only' following its own critical incident last month.

A statement on their website thanked all staff and volunteers for their commitment and hard work 'following a number of weeks of significant pressure and a busy Christmas and New Year Period'.

Pressure on both the Trust’s 999 and 111 services is expected to remain high throughout the coming weeks.

People can continue to help the service manage its demand by only calling 999 in a genuine emergency – see ‘When to call 999’ below.

If it’s urgent and cannot wait until normal GP hours resume, help and advice is available via NHS 111 Online at 111.nhs.uk. Useful advice is also available by speaking to a community pharmacist. Local pharmacy opening hours are available here: Find a pharmacy – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

SECAmb Interim Chief Executive, Siobhan Melia, said:

“I would like to thank each and every member of staff and all our volunteers for their hard work throughout the last few weeks and the whole of 2022. It has, once again, been a challenging year.

“I am very proud to lead an organisation made up of so many dedicated and caring people, looking to do the very best they can for our patients. This is the case throughout the year but can be particularly hard for them when they cannot spend as much time with their families and friends as many of us.

“I would also like to thank the public for their support throughout the year. We know that our services will continue to be under significant pressure in the coming weeks and we really need the public’s help to manage that demand. I wish everyone a happy and safe 2023.”