Hospital under significant pressure as hundreds seek emergency care

Date: 19/12/2022

Milton Keynes University Hospital has seen an unprecedented number of patients attend the Emergency Department during the past seven days – one day saw a patient arrive every four minutes for a 24-hour period.

Today (Monday, December 19) almost 200 patients had already been treated in the Emergency Department by 2pm – the department would usually expect to see around 250 patients in a 24-hour period. The hospital currently has almost 90 escalation beds open, following an extremely busy weekend – with high numbers of patients attending the ED having fallen and sustained fractures, patients with influenza, and children with respiratory symptoms.

Medical Director, Dr Ian Reckless, said: “The hospital, and particularly the Emergency Department, remains under significant pressure with higher numbers of patients seeking urgent care. We are working hard to see patients quickly, but patients will be waiting longer than usual to be seen and some patients who are less clinically urgent than others will be waiting significantly longer than usual. If you do not need emergency care, please do not attend the ED and use the 111 service or your GP.”

Planned appointments continue as usual, please attend the hospital if you have a booked appointment unless informed otherwise. Our website will continue to provide up-to-date guidance.

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