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Hospital Overwhelmed: Critical Incident Declared
30 Sep
Summary
- A critical incident at William Harvey Hospital has been stood down.
- The hospital warned of unprecedented pressure and full beds.
- People are urged to use NHS services wisely and seek alternatives.
A critical incident at a Kent hospital has been concluded following severe operational pressure. The William Harvey Hospital had warned of "extremely long" waits and unprecedented strain on its services, with all hospital beds reported as full.
The trust had advised the public to only attend the A&E department for life-threatening illnesses or injuries. While the critical incident status has since been downgraded, the hospital remains extremely busy.
Teams are caring for many acutely unwell patients, leading to significant waiting times for admission to wards. The public is still advised to use NHS services appropriately and consider alternatives such as contacting 111, or visiting a GP or pharmacy for non-life-threatening conditions.
