Increased pressure for services has led South Cumbrian hospital bosses to trigger the highest level of alert to make sure extra steps are taken to ensure people’s safety.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Barrow’s Furness General Hospital, Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal and the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, said it had issued Operational Pressures Escalation Level 4 for the Royal Lancaster Infirmary. .
The NHS has four levels when it comes to changing work patterns due to pressure. UHMBT this morning triggered Operational Pressures Escalation Level (OPEL) 4 for the infirmary, the highest.
According to NHS guidelines OPEL 4 occurs when pressure in the local health and social care system continues to escalate leaving organisations unable to deliver comprehensive care.
There is increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised. Decisive action must be taken by the local A&E Delivery Board to recover capacity and ensure patient safety.
Scott McLean, the trust’s chief operating officer, issued a statement on the trust’s website.
He said: “Due to increased pressures at the University Hospitals Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, the trust has taken the decision to escalate to OPEL 4 – the highest level of internal escalation.
“This allows us to be able to take additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients and help us cope with the growing demands.
“Declaring OPEL 4 enables us to bring all our partners in Lancashire and South Cumbria together to focus on one thing – the safe and timely care of all of our patients.
“As always, patient safety must take priority and we need to take action to make sure that those who are more clinically urgent get the help they need as quickly as possible.”
The statement went on to say that action being taken by trust teams and partners included using all alternative options to the emergency department, including same day emergency care, surgical emergency ambulatory care, gynaecology assessment unit and the priority assessment discharge unit.
It also called on community colleagues to focus on ‘admission avoidance activities’ while also seeking support from local place-based partners and Integrated Care Board (ICB) systems.
The trust said patients should continue to turn up for appointments and to let staff know if they are no longer able to make the appointment.
“Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard; and we would like to reassure our patients and the public that in spite of the challenges faced, essential services
remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward,” Mr McLean said.
Earlier this year, the trust announced it would continue with plans to change the configuration of beds at hospitals despite calls from the Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham to hold a public debate.
