November 6, 2019 12.20 pm This story is over 52 months old

Extreme pressure continues at Lincoln A&E

High numbers are still attending A&E
Lincoln County Hospital. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

A significant increase in people attending A&E, particularly with the norovirus winter vomiting bug, has led to continued pressure at Lincoln County Hospital.

Officials say the situation at the hospital has improved over the last 24 hours, but that they are continuing to see a “number of very poorly patients attending at Lincoln A&E”.

As previously reported, the A&E department was feared “unsafe and deteriorating”, according to Lincoln’s Labour MP Karen Lee. The former nurse said she was informed on Tuesday that the longest A&E patient waiting is at 20 hours.

The trust is taking action including directing patients to more appropriate services and cancelling some non-urgent operations.

Photo: Twitter

Simon Evans, Director of Operations at ULHT, issued an update on Wednesday saying: “The situation at Lincoln County Hospital has seen improvements over the last 24 hours.

“However, we are continuing to see a significant increase in the number of very poorly patients attending at Lincoln A&E. We are also seeing more patients who have winter sickness (norovirus) in particular, and ask relatives and visitors not to visit patients if they have had symptoms in the last 72 hours.

“We are continuing to work with our partner health and social care organisations to ensure our patients receive the appropriate care as soon as possible, as well as directing patients who visit our A&E to more appropriate services and cancelling some non-urgent operations.”