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Staffordshire A&E departments overloaded amid hospital beds crisis

A&E departments at County and Royal Stoke hospitals have become overloaded with patients that don't need emergency care.

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And the number of patients waiting to be discharged is at 'crisis' level, health chiefs have revealed.

The NHS trust which runs the two sites has now issued a desperate plea for people not to attend A&E unless they need to, while staff have raised safety concerns about patients who are well enough to go home but remain stuck in the hospital.

This summer, just 180 out of 600 people attending the emergency departments needed to be there, bosses at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust have said.

The hospitals can account for 70 patients at one time who are 'medically fit for discharge' and are waiting to return home. But in recent months, bosses say the trust has been dealing with almost triple this number because relatives are reluctant to take them elsewhere.

As an emergency measure, the trust has paid for extra 'out-of-hospital beds' to cope with demand. Robert Courteney-Harris, chief executive, said: "The number of people who are ready to go home but are stuck in a hospital bed has reached crisis levels.

"Our staff are concerned for both the safety and experience of our patients, which is why I have agreed to pay for additional out-of-hospital beds as an emergency measure, even though this is not something the trust is funded to do.

"Discussions are continuing with the city and county councils and our local clinical commissioning group to try and find a longer term solution, but there have been several nursing home closures in recent weeks which have compounded the situation.

"The public really can make a difference, and we are appealing to families for their help in getting their loved one home as quickly as possible."

He added: "Everyone can help us by spreading the message about using the many alternative NHS services to A&E.

"If there is a reduction in the number of walk-in patients attending we will free up vital clinical staff to care for those patients who do need to be admitted.

"We're making more of our clinical staff available during this exceptionally busy summer, but the concern is that without the support of the public we will have a significant increase in cancelled operations due to bed shortages and even longer waits in A&E."

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