Non-virus hospital admissions slump

MEDICS fear some people may be putting their lives at risk because they are nervous about attending the emergency department at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

The hospital has reconfigured its layout and is now operating a “hot” system for patients with suspected coronavirus symptoms and a “cold” system for other serious medical cases.

Figures show the number of local people accessing the department have fallen dramatically. In the third week of April the figure was 1,158 with 462 being admitted compared with 2,288 attendances and 687 admissions in the same week last year.

Steve McManus, chief executive of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re keen to reassure people that our ‘cold’ emergency department is open for business and should be the first port of call for anyone who becomes very ill with things like stroke, heart or serious breathing problems.

“Please don’t worry about catching coronavirus or being a burden on our staff. We are all still here for people who need our help.

“The same goes for parents and carers who are worried about a child who is very unwell and needs quick medical assessment.

“We’ve changed the layout of the hospital so the areas treating coronavirus patients are completely separate from other public areas of the building and no one is being put at any undue risk.”

Meanwhile, the hospital has joined the world’s largest clinical trial of drug therapy for patients with coronavirus.

Patients who are admitted with suspected or proven covid-19 will be offered the chance to participate in the RECOVERY Study, which is taking place at hospitals across the UK and currently has 6,000 patients from 169 different sites.

The Royal Berks currently has 41 patients involved.

The findings will help determine the most effective ways of treating covid-19 with medications that are already available and in use for other conditions.