Royal Surrey emergency department "extremely busy" but early signs suggest flu case numbers are plateauing.
The Trust's Chief Medical Officer has called for people to avoid using A & E if their condition is not too serious .
Last updated 8th Jan 2025
The head of one of Surrey's main hospital trusts says they have seen a "very significant" rise in flu cases over the past few weeks, but says that staff at the Royal Surrey have "stepped up" into the challenge.
Doctor William Jewsbury, who is the Medical Director of the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, has called for people who use their services correctly, particularly if their conditions are not as serious.
Whilst he encouraged people who are "seriously unwell and require emergency care" to use their emergency department. However, he has "strongly encouraged" patients to use alternative forms of care for less serious issues, including utilising GPs, 111 and local pharmacists.
Doctor Jewsbury added that they have issues with getting patients beds.
"We are having difficulties in being able to place patients into beds within the organisation, within the timescales we would normally expect. We have patients in the emergency department for longer than we would wish, and that is pretty much a direct result of both the holiday period and the winter viruses.
"The sooner we can get patients out of hospital who no longer need our services, the better because we do have patients at the front of hospital who absolutely do need to be receiving our services"
"Any help that people can give, just in accelerating the discharge for their loved ones, would be very much appreciated."
Despite the pressures, Doctor Jewsbury explained why they have not called a critical incident.
"We are managing our pressures internally. We are having to change some of the way in which we work, we've asked staff to work differently to support the pressures we are under.
"The point at which you move into critical incident is where you can no longer internally manage the pressure you are under."
Doctor Jewsbury also suggested that flu cases could be coming down.
"There are some early indications that perhaps the rate of increase of flu infection is reduction and we're starting to see the plateau.
"I think if that turns out to be the case we will all be extremely grateful because we have seen a very significant rise over the past few weeks. I think if that occurs then as we work later into January we will hopefully see a reduction in the pressure on the services."