Operations cancelled and patients left on trolleys as Basingstoke hospital struggles to deal with crisis situation

The Emergency Department, ED, at the hospital has been flooded with record numbers of patients over recent weeks, while beds are blocked by those who cannot be discharged from hospital.

Some planned operations have had to be cancelled, and there has been a huge increase in patients waiting on trolleys after arriving by ambulance.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, HHFT, which runs the hospital, in Aldermaston Road, along with Winchester and Andover hospitals, is failing to hit the national target of seeing ED patients within four hours.

Last week, the trust saw fewer than 85 per cent of patients within the target time – considerably less than the 95 per cent national target.

Hospital bosses say the problems are a result of soaring numbers of patients being admitted to the emergency department, and so-called bed blocking – challenges in discharging patients from hospital.

Trusts across the country are facing similar challenges, and by yesterday, 13 hospitals had declared ‘major incidents’, which means extra staff are drafted in, operations are cancelled, and people are asked to stay away from hospital.

Referring to the situation at Basingstoke hospital, Dr Carl Brookes, pictured below, medical director for medical services at HHFT, said: “I think it is important that people understand that this is unprecedented. There is no doubt that we, and other hospitals around the country, are facing extraordinary challenges.

“Our latest figures show that we are seeing 11 per cent more patients in the emergency department compared to last year, and we are also facing challenges in getting people out of the back door.

“There are problems with access to adult services, we are seeing a lot of frail elderly people who need special care, and we need family support. If the back door is blocked, it makes it difficult to get people in the front door.”

The trust could face hefty fines as a result of missing these targets, and it is also set to face financial penalties after hundreds of patients were left on trolleys for more than 30 minutes over the last year, with some waiting for more than an hour.

At Basingstoke hospital in October – the latest figures available from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) – 71 patients waited more than 30 minutes to be transferred from an ambulance to the hospital, and 11 patients had to wait for more than one hour.

In contrast, only eight patients were left waiting more than 30 minutes in October 2013, with just one waiting more than one hour.

The ambulance service said its latest figures for Basingstoke hospital, from April to October, showed 421 handover delays with 41 of more than one hour.

HHFT will face a financial penalty, imposed by SCAS, which will be calculated based on the total number of individual incidents in which patients were left waiting at all three hospitals.

Dr Brookes said: “Patients who come to the emergency department are being seen, but they are not being seen as quickly as we would like.

“Priority is given according to clinical need – if someone is critically ill, they will, of course, be seen first.”

The trust is purchasing 30 new beds to try to help ease the pressure and cope with the influx.

HHFT chief executive Mary Edwards said: “We continue to face the challenge of adequate bed capacity. It is so important we have enough beds in the right places.”

Hospital bosses are meeting daily with other care providers to try to make sure patients that are well enough can be moved on. The trust is also employing paramedics to look after patients on the trolleys, before a bed can be found.

Despite these efforts, bed space and issues with staffing levels has meant that some planned operations have been cancelled. On Tuesday, five gynaecology operations were postponed.

Eloise Clarke, spokeswoman for the hospital trust, said: “All were non life-threatening operations. Cancelling operations is never a decision that is taken lightly but it is sometimes necessary to ensure the safety of our patients.”

The increasing pressure over the last few months has also put significant strain on the trust’s finances.

In November, a board of directors meeting heard agency staff spending exceeded £1million last year. The increase in patients also led to an £800,000 overspend in supplies.

Yesterday, Basingstoke MP Maria Miller said: “I would like to pay tribute to the staff at Basingstoke hospital A&E.

“More people are seeking emergency care at Basingstoke A&E, but despite this pressure, the vast majority of patients are being seen in the target four hours.

“We have to do everything we can to protect our health service for the future. Budgets have been protected and extra money made available to cope with this winter pressure. But with an ageing and growing population, the pressure will continue and that is why our local NHS is looking to work in new and different ways. The new Critical Treatment Hospital proposals are ground-breaking.”