East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has declared a critical incident at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, citing full beds and extremely high attendances at accident and emergency departments. Health bosses stated that the decision was not taken lightly, as hospitals across the trust see very high numbers of patients needing acute care and face very limited capacity to admit further individuals.
Emergency Department Strain and Public Guidance
The critical incident response was triggered because beds across the trust’s hospitals are currently full. According to a statement released by health bosses, attendance levels at emergency departments are extremely high, creating a situation where attending for non-life-threatening conditions could result in an extremely long wait. The trust is urging patients to attend the Ashford emergency department only for life-threatening illnesses or injuries.
To manage the surge, officials are asking the public to use alternative services such as NHS 111, local GPs, pharmacies, or urgent treatment centres. People can also access advice and guidance online at 111.nhs.uk. The trust is asking families to collect patients ready for discharge as soon as possible to free up bed space.
System-Wide Support and Scheduled Care Status
Declaring a critical incident allows the trust to draw on additional support from colleagues across the wider health system. This external assistance is designed to help safely discharge patients who no longer require acute hospital care and to reduce avoidable admissions. The trust is working closely with partners across the health and care system to achieve this.
Regarding scheduled care, health bosses confirmed they are currently reviewing patients booked for planned procedures and appointments. The trust advised that unless patients hear from them directly, everyone should assume their procedure or appointment will go ahead as planned. Teams continue to work in exceptionally busy conditions to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality, and compassionate care.
Earlier Pressures and IT Disruption This Year
This operational strain follows similar pressures earlier in the year. In February, a critical incident was declared at the William Harvey Hospital following high numbers of attendees, with bosses attributing the strain to ongoing and exceptional demand. Later, in July, the trust declared another critical incident and warned patients to expect extremely long waits amid disruption to its IT systems. During the July incident, the trust refused to provide further information when asked to explain what had failed, identify the supplier, or confirm whether malicious activity had been ruled out.
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