News / Health
Bristol hospitals placed on black alert
Bristol hospitals have been placed under “black alert” following a surge in demand which has led to severe pressure on services.
People are being warned to only use A&Es for genuine life-threatening emergencies at following the escalation at Southmead Hospital, Bristol Royal Infirmary and Bristol Children’s Hospital.
Some operations have already been cancelled as health services and clinicians attempt to maintain a level of safety at the hospitals.
“Over the previous two weeks, like many parts of the country, we have experienced a surge in demand on the local emergency and urgent care system,” said Dr Peter Goyder from Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group.
“Our system on the whole has coped with this increased demand, but it is still under considerable pressure and we expect this to continue throughout the coming week.
“However the evidence from hospital A&E Departments, including those at the BRI, Southmead Hospital and Weston General Hospital is that many people are still continuing to use A&E unnecessarily.
“We all want the best care for ourselves and our families but if you are feeling under the weather, attending A&E may not be the answer. I would urge people to seek out advice from their pharmacist first, contact their GP or ring 111.”
Black Alert is the highest escalation used to rank how busy hospitals and care services are, often used when demand outstrips supply and too few people are being discharged.
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