NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Critical Incident

NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB - Critical Incident Toolkit

Press Release/Website Update

Critical incident declared in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire due to sustained pressures on system

The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS system has declared a critical incident to protect patient safety due to significant pressures on services.

There is currently significant demand for all services with hospitals seeing a high number of patients arriving at emergency departments. Our staff are doing everything in their power to care for patients in a safe and timely way, but the high number of people needing care and the reduction in staffing levels mean there are very long waits in our A&E and for admission to our wards. 

Dr Dave Briggs, Medical Director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, said: “Please only attend A&E if it is vital, this means a life-threatening illness or injury that cannot be treated elsewhere. People attending A&E who do not need to be there will be directed to another more appropriate setting to allow us to treat those who need us. There are things everyone can do to help, and we are asking people to use our services wisely and to think about self-care as an option for some conditions, such as coughs and colds, before automatically going to the NHS for help.

“If self-care isn't an option, then choosing the right service will help patients to get the right treatment first time and usually more quickly – 111 online is a great resource to help with that. One way the public can help us is by supporting our NHS teams to get your relatives home from hospital if they are medically fit to leave. We are grateful to everyone who has taken steps to help, and we would like to thank our incredible teams across the health and social care sector for their efforts in keeping the public safe."

Our key focus is on providing safe care for patients who need urgent and emergency services, and those receiving inpatient care in our hospitals. For more information on knowing where to go for medical care, head to our website: https://notts.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/urgent-and-non-urgent-care/

Here is how you can help:

• Only call 999 or attend A&E departments for serious accidents and for genuine emergencies.
• When you need urgent medical care but it’s not an emergency, please visit NHS 111 online or call NHS111 for advice on how to get the care you need at any time of day or night.
• Urgent Treatment Centres treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds and other non-emergency conditions. Waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. We have UTCs at:
  • Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
  • Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient admitted at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
• Use the NHS App for access to a wide range of services and information, such as accessing medical records, booking and managing appointments, reviewing medication and ordering prescriptions as well as checking symptoms.
• Members of the public can also help ease pressures by using their local pharmacy. Pharmacies can help with allergies, constipation, headaches, earaches and many other ailments. You can find opening hours for your local pharmacy here – https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Stakeholder

Dear Stakeholder,

The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS system has declared a critical incident to protect patient safety due to significant pressures on services.

There is currently a high demand for all services with hospitals seeing a high number of patients arriving at emergency departments. This is causing extended waiting times to access beds and very long waits to be seen.

Our staff are doing everything in their power to care for patients in a safe and timely way, but the high number of people needing care and the reduction in staffing levels mean there are very long waits in our A&E and for admission to our wards. 

As a result, we are now asking for the public’s help as services deal with increased pressures across the system. We will be sharing an update about this on our website and we would be grateful for any support in sharing these messages further.

Key messages to share with the public:

• Please only attend A&E or call 999 if it is vital, this means a life-threatening illness or injury that cannot be treated elsewhere. People attending A&E who do not need to be there, will be directed to another more appropriate setting to allow us to treat those who need us.
• When you need urgent medical care but it’s not an emergency, please visit NHS 111 online or call NHS111 for advice on how to get the care you need at any time of day or night.
• Urgent Treatment Centres treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds and other non-emergency conditions. Waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. We have UTCs at:
  • Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
  • Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient admitted at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
• Use the NHS App for access to a wide range of services and information, such as accessing medical records, booking and managing appointments, reviewing medication and ordering prescriptions as well as checking symptoms.
• Members of the public can also help ease pressures by using their local pharmacy. Pharmacies can help with allergies, constipation, headaches, earaches and many other ailments. You can find opening hours for your local pharmacy here – https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy

Our key focus is on providing safe care for patients who need urgent and emergency services, and those receiving inpatient care in our hospitals. For more information on knowing where to go for medical care, head to our website: https://notts.icb.nhs.uk/your-health/urgent-and-non-urgent-care/

Thank you for your support, we will continue to keep you updated as the critical incident progresses.

Kind regards,

Dr Dave Briggs, Medical Director at NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB

GP Update – Team Net

GP update

3.1.2024 - Critical incident declared

The local healthcare system in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is currently under pressure and a critical incident has been declared.

Patients and members of the public are being asked to use services wisely to ensure those patients with the greatest need can access care and support.

We know general practice also continues to be extremely busy and we are grateful for your support in dealing with the prioritised needs of those most vulnerable.

How you can help

• Where appropriate please use the Urgent Community Response team who deliver an Urgent 2 Hour response across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. A two-hour response is typically required when a person is at risk of admission (or re-admission) to hospital due to a ‘crisis’ and they are likely to attend hospital within the next 2 to 24 hours, without intervention to prevent further deterioration and to keep them safe at home. The Single access number to this service is 0300 373 0600 from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.
   
• Please use the messaging below on your practice website:

7 ways you can help the NHS:

1. Only call 999 or attend A&E departments for serious accidents and for genuine emergencies.
2. If you are unsure where you should go, NHS 111 can help – search online for “NHS 111” or dial 111 from any phone. This will make sure you are seen in the right place and by the right person.
3. Consider using Urgent Treatment Centres. They can treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds, and other non-life-threatening conditions. Waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E. We have UTCs at:

• Nottingham – The NHS Urgent Care Centre (next to the BBC building) is open every day from 7am-7pm. You don’t need an appointment to attend. Seaton House, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 4LA Tel: 0115 883 8500
• Newark – Newark Hospital is open 9am-10pm (last patient admitted at 9.30pm). It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE

4. Use the NHS App for access to a wide range of services and information, such as accessing medical records, booking and managing appointments, reviewing medication and ordering prescriptions as well as checking symptoms.
5. Members of the public can also help ease pressures by using their local pharmacy. Pharmacies can help with allergies, constipation, headaches, earaches and many other ailments.
6. Anyone who is in mental health distress should call the Mental Health Crisis Line: 0808 196 3779 – the helpline is open 24 hours a day.

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