The huge number of patients seeking hospital treatment has stayed so high that a senior NHS executive in Brighton called it “the toughest winter I’ve ever experienced “.
Marianne Griffiths, a hospital chief executive for 10 years, spoke about sustained high demand over the past three months at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Mrs Griffiths, chief executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal Sussex, said: “It’s been a real challenge for the organisation.
“I’ve been a chief executive for 10 years. It’s been the toughest winter I’ve ever experienced.”
Staff shortages added to the challenges faced by the Royal Sussex and other parts of the trust.
A report to the trust board today (Wednesday 31 January) said that there were 876 vacancies (whole-time equivalents).
Mrs Griffiths told the board this morning that the trust was putting in an extra 70 beds in and around the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department in Brighton which would help.
In a report to the BSUH trust board, she said: “We have seen significant and sustained demands on our services this winter and the response of staff across our hospitals has been second to none.
“Our hospitals went through most of December with bed occupancy rates of more than 98 per cent.
“It has taken a real team effort across our hospitals and our social care partners to make sure patients are seen, treated and discharged as quickly and as safely as possible so that we can then treat more patients as they come in.
“The numbers of patients we saw over the festive period was significant. In the two weeks from 18 December to 31 December, our emergency teams in Brighton and Haywards Heath saw more than 5,700 patients and our ward teams have admitted and cared for over 1,800 new people – up over 4 per cent on last year.
“In total, more than 17,000 patients attended clinics or tests in our hospitals, or were admitted or treated as an emergency, over this period.
“These high levels of demand have continued into January.
“I am extremely proud of the care our staff provide and cannot thank them enough for their dedication, the hours put in and the care for each other, as well as our patients.
“We also received many messages from patients and their families who were grateful for the care and compassion they receive first hand.
“One patient, who was with us on Christmas Day, wrote on Facebook that ‘none of the patients want to be here but the staff have made us feel wanted and cherished for which I am very grateful.
“‘It is their dedication and love shown to strangers that has marked me indelibly and I will never forget this day I have shared with them.’”
