County hospital is 'overwhelmed'

The Royal Cornwall Hospital is at 100% capacity

Doctors at Cornwall's main hospital say they have been overwhelmed by a huge increase in the number of patients needing emergency treatment.

They say staff at the Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske, Truro, are working under extreme pressure.

In the last week, there have been 900 emergency admissions, routine operations have been cancelled and GPs are being urged to restrict the number of patients being sent to Treliske.

Doctors say an acute chest infection has taken its toll across the county. The hospital says people are warned when given operation times that procedures may be postponed.

The systems we've got for looking after patients are overwhelmed John Barnes, Consultant

The level of emergency admissions at Treliske's Clinical Decision Unit (CDU), is being described as critical.

The unit was opened earlier this year to speed up admissions of emergency cases.

However, between 10 and 20 routine operations a day are being currently cancelled. Patients with conditions such as varicose veins and hernias are being told they will face further waits.

CDU staff nurse PJ Holmes said "I think there's a lot of stress all round because people aren't managing to see everybody and sort them out as well as they'd like to."

On Monday night alone, 39 patients were admitted for emergency treatment.

Emergency medicine lead consultant John Barnes said the hospital is running at 100% occupancy constantly.

Inappropriate beds

He said: "The systems we've got for looking after patients are overwhelmed.

"Staff are running around in circles trying to find beds for people and they're often inappropriate beds because they cannot go into the ward that we want them to go into."

Iris Philip, who was waiting in the CDU with a friend who had been admitted for emergency treatment, said: "It seems like we need an another hospital to catch the overflow from this one."

Hospital Director of Delivery and Modernisation, Paula Friend, said patients are warned of possible delays.

She said: "There is the potential for cancellation if the hospital has an increase in emergency admission.

"That is raised with the patient when they're added to the waiting list or they're notified of the date to come in.

"It's always difficult, but we do try and let people know."