Scheduled Operations Continue Amidst Viral Surge

The chief executive of a hospital has confirmed that scheduled surgical procedures are proceeding, even as the number of inpatients admitted with viral infections rises. Nick Hulme reported that Colchester Hospital and Ipswich Hospital have seen a surge in patients suffering from influenza, alongside those with Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). He further stated that over 65 beds across the two facilities have been taken out of service due to their proximity to infected individuals, and some patients at Colchester are receiving care in corridors. According to NHS data, approximately 96.46% of beds within the trust were occupied. However, Mr. Hulme affirmed that there are “no plans” to halt “our elective programmes.” Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Mr. Hulme stated, “People can be assured if they’re booked in for the next few days to have their surgery on either site we will continue, but it is something we are going to have to keep an hour by hour review of because we were not expecting to see such high levels flu.” He added, “It’s not just the patients with flu that cause the issues, it’s the logistical issues around the fact that we can use less beds if we get an infected patient in a bay.” The East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust operates both hospitals. Mr. Hulme reported a total of 17 Covid-19 patients, 36 flu patients, and 10 RSV patients across the two locations. He acknowledged that while not all patients were being cared for in traditional wards, they were nonetheless “safe.” He elaborated, “It is not ideal for some of the patients who are not placed in wards and bays in the way that we want to.” He remarked, “For some reason we are seeing this spike of flu 10 days before Christmas when normally we would see it in January.” He added, “We’ve planned for that, we will reduce our planned care, our elective care, our operations in January, so that we can accommodate and have more emergency patients in those elective beds but it has taken us a little bit by surprise.” Data from the NHS indicated that in the week concluding on 8 December, the trust possessed 1,274 general and acute beds, of which 1,229 were occupied by patients. Nikki Fox, BBC health correspondent for the East of England, noted that the current necessity of placing patients in corridors at Colchester Hospital to manage risk underscores the hospital’s high occupancy. She also pointed out that ambulances are being redirected to Ipswich, even though the peak season for flu and Covid has not yet arrived. The hospital is unlikely to want to delay operations, especially given that five years prior, patients typically waited 18 weeks, whereas now some face waits of 18 months for surgery. Furthermore, a new surgery hub recently opened at Colchester, with the intention of ringfencing its beds to ensure surgical procedures could continue irrespective of the main hospital’s patient load. The presence of patients in corridors suggests a strong temptation to utilize this new center for emergency cases should more arise. She concluded with a rhetorical question regarding the desirability of a hospital chief executive’s role over the upcoming four weeks. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s external linking policy is available.