Full Breakdown
Critical Incident Declared at William Harvey Hospital
By Drooid · · How we work
Situation Overview
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKH) has declared a critical incident at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford because all inpatient beds are occupied and attendance at the accident-and-emergency (A&E) department is “extremely high.” The trust warned that patients who are not experiencing a life-threatening illness or injury may face “extremely long” waits for treatment. Staff are also being asked to collect discharged relatives “at the earliest opportunity” to free capacity for urgent cases.
Background
This is the second critical-incident declaration this year. A similar alert was issued in February after a surge in patient numbers, and in July the trust cited “ongoing and exceptional demand” alongside disruption to its IT systems. EKH has described the situation as “exceptionally busy” and has emphasized that the decision to declare a critical incident was not taken lightly.
Official Statements & Responses
A spokesperson for EKH said the trust is reviewing patients scheduled for planned procedures and appointments, adding that unless patients receive direct communication, they should assume those appointments will proceed as planned. The trust highlighted that urgent and emergency services are under “extremely high” pressure and that staff remain focused on caring for those most in need. It also noted that declaring a critical incident enables the trust to draw additional support from partners across the health and care system to facilitate safe discharges and keep patients out of hospital when possible.
Patient Guidance
The trust urged the public to seek medical assistance through NHS 111, their general practitioner, a local pharmacy, or an urgent treatment centre for non-urgent concerns. It reiterated that A&E attendance should be limited to life-threatening conditions or to collect someone being discharged. EKH is working closely with regional partners to accelerate safe discharges and reduce avoidable admissions as part of the critical-incident response.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Declaring a critical incident enables us to keep patients safe by drawing on additional support from our colleagues across the health system.” — spokesperson