Major Incident Plan Launched at RCHT

The hospital's dealing with high levels of emergency admissions, as well as delays in discharging some patients and an outbreak of the norovirus itself

Two wards and two isolated bays have been closed in Treliske and around 20 routine operations have been postponed during the week.

The majority of Day Cases are still going ahead and surgery at St Michael’s and West Cornwall hospitals are unaffected.

But visitors and non-emergency patients are asked to ring the ward they intend to visit for advice before coming in.

Additional beds have been opened in the hospitals and urgent cancer surgery is going ahead - all other cases are being reviewed on a day by day basis. Patients whose operations are postponed are being contacted individually.

The Major incident status allows the hospital to heighten their response and maintain regular contact with the health and social care colleagues throughout the day, agreeing a combined response to minimise the impact of the current pressures.

Chief operating officer at RCHT, Jo Gibbs said:
 
"Due to the combination of high levels of emergency admissions, cases of Norovirus and delays in discharging some patients, RCHT is using its major incident plan to work with health and social care colleagues to manage the current demand on hospital and community services.
 
"One of the top priorities is to minimise the risk of the spread of Nororvirus in our hospitals. We are asking visitors not to come to hospital unless their visit is essential and we are sorry that it has been necessary to postpone a number of non-urgent operations. However, we hope patients will understand the need to focus on acutely ill patients in need of emergency admission.
 
"Our clinical teams are working flexibly to care for patients needing admission and we have opened additional beds in our hospitals. Urgent cancer surgery is going ahead and all other cases are being reviewed on a day by day basis. Patients whose operations are postponed are being contacted individually.
 
"Major incident status allows us to heighten our response. We maintain regular contact with our health and social care colleagues throughout the day agreeing a combined response to minimise the impact of the current pressures."