Critical Incident declared at Treliske Hospital
There's been significant pressure on services all week
Last updated 4th Jan 2025
A critical incident's been declared at the Royal Cornwall Hospital.
Health bosses say the hospital and emergency department have been under significant pressure over the week, and they're now urging the public to only come to the emergency department if there's a life-threatening emergency.
Kate Shields, Chief Executive of NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board said: "We are currently seeing a high number of ambulances waiting outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital and of patients in our emergency department. There are also a large number of patients in Cornwall’s hospitals who are medically fit to be discharged but are awaiting the right care.
"Declaring a critical incident allows the NHS to take additional, immediate steps to create capacity, help discharge patients, relieve pressure on our emergency department and release ambulances and their crews."
The hospital says staff right across the county are working 'exceptionally hard' to provide care based on peoples' medical need.
Kate Shields continues: "We urgently need the public’s support to make sure we can see those who are sickest and have the greatest need.
"Please only come to the emergency department if you have a life or limb-threatening emergency.
"Other NHS services are available, and we encourage you to use them whenever possible. These include our network of minor injury units, our urgent treatment centre at West Cornwall Hospital, out-of-hours GP services, local pharmacies and NHS 111.
"People who come to the emergency department but can be treated elsewhere will be directed to those services.
“Families, friends and neighbours are urged to help us too by offering to support someone waiting for home care to leave hospital. We ask them to contact the ward directly if they can help in any way.
"Fast access one-off grants are also available, to use towards paying for care, expenses or equipment to help you get a relative or friend home from hospital. If you could support someone in your home, or in their own home, with a little extra help, please speak to the nurse in charge on the ward.
“Getting someone home a day or two sooner will mean we can free up a vital hospital bed for someone else in urgent need – please help us if you can."
"Resilience must be built"
In response to the critical incident, MP for St Ives Alex George said: "Resilience must be built into our NHS before it can plan any much-needed reorganisation. The problem is that our hospitals have been set to operate on a ‘just-in-time’ and excessively high bed occupancy level even during periods of relatively low pressure.”
He adds: “As the President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (Dr Adrian Boyle) has correctly (in my view) said, every acute hospital needs a ward of beds to take the pressure off the emergency department to address the problem of patient flow into our hospitals.”
Responding to the statement, the Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust said that the stretch of resources is across the entire county, with the "pressure being felt across all our services".
Advice from NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly:
If you are unwell with flu, norovirus, COVID-19
Please don’t go to a health setting such as the emergency department and our minor injury units or visit a loved one in hospital.
Please use the NHS 111 online service first for advice.
You can help us by not spreading your illness to others, instead stay home, get plenty of rest and stay hydrated.
Have a loved one in hospital? Please be ready to support the home from hospital and don’t visit if you are unwell.
Staff on the ward can advise on how you can help – including providing one off financial payments if needed.
Look up ‘where is best’ advice online