9:35pm Tuesday 19th January 2010
By Oliver Evans
A HOSPITAL which takes Bucks patients today admitted it is in the middle of an A&E crisis because of pressure on beds.
Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust urged people to only come to A&E in a ‘critical or life threatening situation’ because of pressure on beds.
It said it is “experiencing huge pressures with the numbers of incoming patients and availability of beds”.
It has declared a “serious untoward incident” and is cancelling operations and discharging patients to free up beds.
Wexham Park Hospital, in Slough, takes south Buckinghamshire patients along with Wycombe Hospital – which stopped treating serious trauma patients in 2005 – and Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.
The trust said: “We are appealing to the public to only come to A&E in a critical or life threatening situation.
“A&E departments provide immediate emergency care for people who show the symptoms of serious illness or who are badly injured.”
It urged people to contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or their GP.
Similar calls have been made recently by Bucks NHS chiefs in a bid to cut down on A&E attendances.
The statement said: “As always, the patients are our primary concern.
“The safety of patients and their care will continue to be the main consideration with any decisions made.
“The situation is being monitored on an hourly basis.”
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