Milton Keynes Hospital under 'real pressure' with high numbers of Covid patients

Extra security has been drafted in as tempers get frayed in A&E
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MK Hospital is once again under pressure with "very high" numbers of patients being admitted.

Chief executive Joe Harrison said today that the number of Covid patients has increased and is now at the highest it has been for many weeks.

"We have already opened a significant number of escalation beds and remain under real pressure," he said.

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MKUH

The pressure has spilled over to the rest of the hospital and affected waiting times in A&E. Sadly, this has meant extra security staff have had to be drafted in to cope with abuse and even assaults on staff.

Prof Harrison has urged people with routine appointments to attend as normal though.

He said: "We are working hard to minimise the impact of this pressure on planned surgery and outpatients so please attend unless told otherwise.

"Staff are working exceptionally hard to care for patients and keep them safe and I’m very grateful for their extraordinary hard work and commitment."

Another hospital staff member, Director of Corporate Affairs Kate Jarman, Tweeted over the weekend to say all wards and departments were affected.

She wrote: "It is terrifically busy at MK Hospital today - in ED (emergency department) but also in ICU and in all wards and departments. Staff are working flat out to keep you safe and care for you.

She added: "We have additional security in our ED as abuse and assaults against our staff have increased. Please be patient and civil."

Government figures currently show 45 Covid patients are in Mk Hospital and two of them are on ventilators.

The pressure on the hospital comes from having to keep these patients in isolation wards - while still dealing with the seasonal high influx of winter illness such as respiratory problems.

Health bosses are urging people in MK to keep these illness at bay by making sure they have their flu jab and Covid vaccine booster as soon as they are eligible.

Currently there is no data available to show whether or not patients admitted to hospital with Covid had received their Covid vaccines.

An MK hospital spokesman told the Citizen today: "Milton Keynes Hospital is currently seeing an exceptional level of demand for its services, following an extremely busy weekend with high number of emergency admissions.

"The hospital has opened a large number of its escalation beds and additional ward space to help deal with the pressure on its services, and staff continue to work exceptionally hard to provide safe and effective care for its patients.

"The number of patients severely ill with COVID-19 is higher than it has been for many weeks, and a number of wards have been reconfigured to enable staff to admit and treat the growing number of patients with the virus.

"We continue to work hard to minimise any impact of these pressures on planned care, like surgery and outpatients, especially for patients who require urgent surgery for cancer or other potentially life-limiting conditions.

"Patients with appointments at the hospital should continue to attend, unless told otherwise."

The hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) remains open 24/7 for those requiring urgent care. Patients in ED may experience longer waits at particularly busy times.