THE boss of Colchester Hospital has said demand during Christmas and new year celebrations “exceeded all expectations”.
Nick Hulme revealed the beginning of 2023 is already providing a significant strain on the hospital’s services.
It comes as figures reveal the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust was caring for 186 coronavirus patients at the end of 2022.
The NHS England data represents a 75 per cent increase in positive Covid cases at the trust’s four hospitals in the past four weeks, further ramping up pressure.
Temporary wards at Colchester Hospital have been created to help deal with further demand.
The trust’s boss Mr Hulme has urged residents to only use the hospital’s services when vital.
He said: “The Christmas and new year period has been incredibly challenging for our hospitals.
“Despite planning carefully for the winter, demand for our services has far exceeded all our expectations.
“We are doing everything we can to manage, and have created temporary wards at both Colchester and Ipswich hospitals to help us care for additional patients.
“We are also urging people to use their pharmacist or NHS 111 wherever possible so that we can keep our emergency departments and urgent treatment centres free for patients with the most serious illnesses and injuries.
“Our staff are working extremely hard to see patients as quickly as possible and provide safe, effective care.
“We would urge the public to help us to help them by only using our services when absolutely necessary.”
Last summer, Mr Hulme pledged to “get ahead of the game” for the busy winter period.
He said a plan was put in place in June to handle the heightened pressures, but urged people to “remember all the good advice” about infection control.
"People think it's a cough or a cold, but for someone who's immunosuppressed or ill, flu can be fatal," he said.
"We need to protect the most vulnerable in our society and our families."
Mr Hulme also said the lack of take-up for the Covid and flue vaccines is putting the NHS under further strain.
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