Plymouth's Derriford Hospital announces "black alert" as bed spaces dwindle
DERRIFORD Hospital has been on "black alert" – the NHS's codeword for high levels of patient pressure.
The alert system used by the service uses a traffic light colour system of green, amber and red, to rank how busy a hospital is, taking into account bed space and the flow of patients through its system.
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Plymouth's Derriford Hospital announces "black alert" as bed spaces dwindle
According to the NHS a "black alert" warning is the highest emergency warning, recognising that bed occupancy is at peak and staff have to consider sending patients elsewhere or risk lengthy waits.
Derriford Hospital has not issued any media notification, but admitted last night it had issued a black alert on Monday after "very high bed occupancy".
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Tuesday was, according to a hospital spokesman "not as high as yesterday". The spokesman said there was "no single factor", adding it was a "generally busy" period.
According to a report in a national newspaper last December by a senior doctor at the Royal Derby hospital, black alert "means the hospital is completely full. There are no more beds at all anywhere and therefore we are closed to admissions and patients have to go elsewhere."
4 Comments
by maxine711
Thursday, March 07 2013, 1:55AM
“I think you'll find norovirus lasts 7-10 days not a couple of days, you probably had a normal tummy bug”
by PLYMFOX01
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 10:45PM
“I have heard there are still problems with Novovirus at Derriford. There were 3 wards closed not all that long ago due to it.(I found this out on one Sunday morning having spent 3 or so hours in A & E the evening before with chest problems. Sunday night I was up all night being sick and was ill for a couple of days after that. I found out later it was Novovirus I had picked up. Whether I picked it up there or elsewhere I will never know but I think I can guess.
I will say this though, the doctors and nurses who work in the A & E at Derriford do a fantastic job and I was very well looked after throughout my visit.”
by Foldart
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 8:59AM
“I remember waiting 4 hours on a gurney in a hospital corridor with a fractured spine, at Derriford. I was on morphine at the time, and it didn't worry me a bit although my family were very annoyed. Bring on the morphine!”
by Monkeyman
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 8:54AM
“DONT PANIC! DONT PANIC! I'D LIKE TO VOLUNTEER NOT TO PANIC!”