Overburdened hospitals in Lancashire on highest alert level

A hospital group in Lancashire and South Cumbria said its services were under enormous pressure.

University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT) said it was at Level 4 in the demand assessment system.

Operational Pressure Escalation Level (OPEL) 4 means that a hospital is “unable to provide comprehensive care” and patient safety may be at risk.

However, a spokesman said patients should continue to attend appointments as usual unless contacted.

The spokesman said there was “increased pressure on all our hospitals” and “patient safety must be a priority”.

The alert level declared on Monday will be used as a “last resort” and will come into effect when all other escalation measures have been exhausted, the trust said.

The trust said the alert was intended to ensure that people in “more clinically urgent” cases received the help they needed as quickly as possible.

Problems that may cause a hospital to declare an OPEL 4 include:

Scott McLean, Chief Operating Officer, Tabetha Darmon, Chief Nursing Officer and Jane McNicholas, Chief Medical Officer, issued the warning, saying patients should continue to attend their appointments unless contacted directly.

A joint statement said: “Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard and we want to reassure our patients and the public that despite the challenges, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them. So if you need urgent medical help, please continue to come to us.”

They urged patients to only go to the emergency department for serious accidents and emergencies and to use the NHS emergency number 111 for all other needs.