Government promises a “reprioritising of resources” in response to requests to take urgent action to assist hospitals which have had to declare critical incidents – with some A & E units, like the A and E unit at Liverpool Royal Hospital, facing delays of 50 hours to see A and E patients.

Baroness Merron, the Department of Health and Social Care, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL3864):

Question by Lord Alton of Liverpool:
To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they are taking (1) to end the delays at the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Unit which are reportedly up to 50 hours, and (2) to address the decision of the Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to declare a “critical incident” due to “exceptionally high demand”. (HL3864)

Tabled on: 08 January 2025

Answer:
Baroness Merron:

NHS England’s regional teams are working closely with the integrated care boards to ensure that appropriate action is being taken to address and mitigate the issues identified within each declared critical incident, including at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. This includes actions to support the flow of patients through the hospital and the reprioritising of resources to support urgent and emergency care.

Date and time of answer: 16 Jan 2025 at 12:01.