Hospital issues ‘black alert’ and orders patients to stay away

A ‘black alert’ has been declared by a health board in Wales, with patients asked to only come to hospital if their condition is serious or life-threatening.

Record numbers of patients have been visiting the emergency department at Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.

People in non-life-threatening states have been waiting up to 14 hours to see a doctor.

’Very few’ beds are now free amid ‘unprecedented pressure’ for staff, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has warned.

People have been asked to only come to the emergency department if they have potentially fatal conditions – including severe breathing difficulties, severe pain or bleeding, chest pain or a suspected stroke and serious trauma injuries.

Those with less serious injuries can still visit one of the board’s minor injury units in Newport, Abergavenny or Ystrad Mynach.

‘The Health Board is under sustained and unprecedented pressure. Despite actions to try to stabilise our services, today we have had to declare a state of “business continuity”’, a statement on Tuesday said.

It added: ‘If you have a loved one in hospital who is deemed medically fit to be discharged, please consider taking them home and caring for them. 

‘If your loved one is medically fit to be discharged, then hospital is not the best place for them to be – they will recover better at home. 

‘If your loved one is medically fit for discharge, our staff will contact you to discuss the next steps.

‘We are asking families to help in this way because it is best for their loved one and will free up hospital beds for sick patients who need to be admitted to hospital.’

It comes after the same health board was forced to flip from ‘amber’ to ‘red’ status after a surge in new Covid patients back in September.

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