Critical incident at hospital enters third day
A critical incident remains in place for a third day at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.
Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust declared a critical incident on Thursday, telling people with respiratory conditions, including Covid-19, not to visit unless there was a booked appointment.
Ed Cetti, chief medical officer at the trust, said: "Due to high levels of demand and a sharp increase in winter viruses which is impacting staffing levels and how we move patients around our site, our services are under significant pressure."
Patients and visitors are required to wear a face mask in all clinical areas due to an increase in respiratory infections.
Other hospitals in the area, where people are being advised to go to if it is a non-life threatening emergency, have reported being "very busy".
Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust said the public can help manage periods of demand by ensuring they are seeking help from the most appropriate health services.
Some non-urgent operations, treatments and outpatient will be cancelled, East Surrey Hospital added.
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