Major London Hospital Declares Emergency Overpatient Crisis
Royal London Hospital Overwhelmed with Patients
The Royal London Hospital has declared a major internal incident this morning as it struggles with an overwhelming number of patients. Some have been waiting over 12 hours for a bed, with the facility now at full capacity.
Staff Urged to Speed Up Patient Discharges
Hospital bosses sent an urgent 9:30am email to clinicians, instructing them to assess all inpatients and discharge anyone medically fit to free up beds. They highlighted that social care services from the North London Commissioning Group (NCL) are “excessively busy,” worsening the crisis.
ICU and Resuscitation Rooms Packed to Breaking Point
The incident report revealed Resus is full, with 30 patients in ICU and 30 unplaced delayed transfer patients (DTAs). Only consultants are authorised to decide on new admissions. Full capacity protocols and patient boarding are now active.
“A senior decision maker must re-evaluate all patients and update the expected discharge date and plan in epic. Please do everything necessary to ensure that patients are medically fit or discharged as safely and swiftly as feasible.”
Delayed Discharges Fuel Hospital Overcrowding Crisis
This emergency comes as hospitals nationwide face mounting pressure from delayed discharges. Patients stuck in beds due to lack of community support restrict bed availability, leading to longer A&E waits and ambulance delays.
