NHS hospital in Somerset shuts A&E and stops taking new patients because of surge in Covid-19 cases
- Weston General Hospital has stopped taking patients from today
- It said the move was ‘precautionary’ but did not reveal any more details
- It’s not clear why it has seen an influx of COVID-19 patients
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
An NHS hospital in Somerset has stopped taking new patients due to ‘a high number’ already there with coronavirus.
Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare said today it could not take any more admission including into A&E.
It said the move was precautionary to protect staff and patients, but did not give any more details.
The number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 has been steadily dropping, reducing by 11 per cent in the past week.
It’s not clear why the Somerset hospital appears to have an influx of patients but said hospitals have ‘frequent’ changes in COVID-19 admissions.
The South West has suffered the fewest deaths (1,157) and cases (7,524) during the pandemic.
Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, has stopped taking new patients due to ‘a high number’ already there with coronavirus
Weston General Hospital said today it could not take any more admission including into A&E
There have been 114 deaths at University Hospitals Bristol and three at Weston NHS Foundation Trust – which run Weston General hospital. Pictured: Weston SUper Mare on May 16
The number of patients in hospitals with COVID-19 has been steadily dropping, reducing by 11 per cent in the past week
There have been 114 deaths at University Hospitals Bristol and three at Weston NHS Foundation Trust – which run Weston General hospital.
The trust said patients will not be accepted from 8am today.
It said there are arrangements in place for new patients to access treatment and care ‘in other appropriate healthcare settings in the area should they need it’.
Dr William Oldfield, medical director at the trust, said: ‘As with any hospital, the number of patients with Covid-19 will frequently change as people are admitted and discharged.
‘We currently have a high number of patients with Covid-19 in Weston General Hospital.
‘Whilst the vast majority will have come into the hospital with Covid-19, as an extra precaution we have taken the proactive step to temporarily stop accepting new patients to maintain patient and staff safety.
‘This is a clinically led decision and we are being supported by our system partners to ensure that new patients receive the care and treatment they need in the appropriate setting, and we are continuing to provide high-quality care to existing patients who are being treated in the hospital.
‘We have a robust coronavirus testing programme in place for patients and staff to identify cases quickly, with appropriate measures taken by clinical teams as required.
‘We will keep the situation under constant review.’
There are currently 8,951 people in hospital with COVID-19 across UK hospitals, with admissions slowing in the past few weeks.
Some areas have recovered quicker than others, graphs show. London has seen a more drastic decline in hospital patients than the South West and East of England.