'Full up' Birmingham's Good Hope Hospital turns patients away

Dec 5 2007 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

SERIOUSLY ill patients were turned away from a packed Birmingham hospital because it is bursting at the seams.

Good Hope Hospital, in Sutton Coldfield, was yesterday put on 'alert' with ambulances diverted to other Midland A&Es because there were no more available beds.

Medics were warned to only treat the injured who had walked into casualty or 999 patients from ambulances if they needed resuscitation, as the hospital was full to capacity.

Lisa Dunn, spokeswoman for Heart of England Trust, which runs Good Hope along with Heartlands and Solihull hospitals, confirmed the alert came into force yesterday morning(tue).

She said the situation had slightly eased today with the A&E now taking emergency ambulance cases in a "controlled way", with managers closely watching the number of cases and volume sent through the doors every hour.

"Good Hope Hospital is very very busy on all wards but particularly in A&E," said Ms Dunn.

"Over the past few weeks Good Hope Hospital, along with other hospitals across the region has seen an increase in demand, especially over the past 48 hours.

"Yesterday morning the hospital went to escalation level four, with five the highest, which essentially means patients normally brought in by ambulance are taken to the closest hospital instead. We are today on a level three with ambulances allowed to come but closely monitored.

"This situation is being reviewed on an hourly basis.

"The volume of patients we are seeing is not due to any particular virus. We are dealing with everything and a lot of emergency surgery. It just seems that the real brunt of winter has come early."

But health watchdog Coun Deirdre Alden, chair of Birmingham Health Scrutiny Committee, said the situation was "alarming".

"It is unsatisfactory that there is no spare capacity for no particular reason as it hasn't snowed, there isn't a flu epidemic, it is just winter," said Coun Alden (Edgbaston, Con).

"Winter comes every year and our hospital ought to be able to cope with it.

"When Heartlands Hospital took over Good Hope, residents in Sutton Coldfield feared they would be sent across Birmingham for treatment and that is exactly what happened here."

Heart of England Trust bosses said extra beds had already been made available at Good Hope, Heartlands and Solihull hospitals to cope with an influx of patients.

Debt-hit Good Hope Hospital was taken over by Heart of England on April 1 with staff and internal changes part of the merger.

Elsewhere, a sickness bug sweeping through Sandwell General Hospital has struck down 20 more victims, it was revealed today.

The Birmingham Mail revealed yesterday that Priory Five and Lyndon Five wards at the West Bromwich hospital had been sealed after more than 50 patients and staff fell ill with Norovirus since the outbreak began on Friday.

Today it emerged that the sickness toll had now risen to 70 - 40 patients and 30 staff.

Visitors to the two wards have been banned, together with admissions and transfers. Hospital chiefs hope to re-open the wards on Friday but no decisions have yet been made.