Home / Health / Kent Hospital Crisis: Critical Incident Stood Down
Kent Hospital Crisis: Critical Incident Stood Down
7 Feb
Summary
- William Harvey Hospital in Ashford faced a critical incident due to high patient numbers.
- The hospital struggled with winter illnesses and full beds across all trust sites.
- The critical incident has now been stood down, but the hospital remains busy.
A critical incident declared at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent, has been stood down. The East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust initially declared the incident on Tuesday due to a surge in patients, citing winter illnesses and respiratory viruses as major contributing factors. All hospital beds within the trust were reported as full.
The trust noted "extremely high" numbers of patients attending emergency departments, alongside "limited capacity" for other treatments. On Friday, the hospital remained "extremely busy," prompting a renewed appeal for the public to utilize NHS services appropriately and seek alternative care for minor issues.
Alternatives suggested included calling NHS 111 for advice, visiting pharmacies for minor ailments, or consulting GP practices and urgent treatment centres. The trust, which operates hospitals across several Kent towns, emphasized its efforts to safely discharge patients and provide community care.
Chief nursing and midwifery officer Sarah Hayes explained that declaring a critical incident allowed the trust to access additional support from across the health system. Acknowledging the hard work of its staff, the trust expressed gratitude for their dedication during this challenging period.
