Nottingham and Nottinghamshire health and care system critical incident continues into weekend

The health and care system in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire continues to declare a critical incident this weekend and we are continuing to take additional steps to prioritise and maintain safe services for patients.

The critical incident, which was declared on Tuesday evening, was driven by the ongoing challenge of patients requiring admission to a hospital bed but unable to be placed on a ward due to the lack of available discharges for existing patients, creating a bottleneck for incoming patients in ambulances.

As a result, our services continue to prioritise patients with the highest level of need to ensure that we continue to be able to manage emergency care, and health and care services continue to work together to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard, and we would like to reassure our patients and the public that despite the challenges faced and the changes highlighted, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if someone requires urgent medical help, they should continue to come forward.

Services remain open through the weekend and continue to prioritise patients with the highest level of need.  Patients can access the following services over the weekend to avoid the need to place avoidable demand on ambulance services and Emergency Departments on Monday:

• NHS 111 can tell you where to get help for your symptoms if you’re not sure what to do, how to find general health information and advice, where to get an emergency supply of your prescribed medicine and how to get a repeat prescription. You can also call NHS 111 to speak to a clinician and make bookings for urgent treatment centres and other services. The online and telephone services are available 24/7.
• 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-9pm. 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. It can be found on Boundary Road, NG24 4DE
• Sutton In Ashfield Primary Care 24 is open 24 hours a day and can be found at King’s Mill Hospital, NG17 4JL
• Ilkeston Community Hospital – is open 8am – 8pm. It can be found on Heanor Road , Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8LN. You can book into this service via 111.
• 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.
• Pharmacists can help with over-the-counter advice and medication. Use the NHS search to find your nearest pharmacy.
• It is also important to make sure you stay hydrated and practice self-care as we know that the warmer weather can result in many illnesses which can be avoided by drinking water.