Publish date: 10 January 2023
Like most acute care hospitals around the country, Leighton Hospital’s Emergency Department continues to experience exceptionally high demand and is seeing many more very poorly patients than usual. This includes a number of serious cases of ‘flu and Covid-19 infections.
Patients presenting at A&E are seen in order of clinical need with the sickest seen and treated first, this can lead to very long waiting times for some patients.
Higher demand for beds also means delays for admission for many. Whilst we are experiencing many of the challenges in accessing social care support reported nationally, local partners, our community teams and our discharge coordinators have been successful over recent weeks helping patients leave hospital sooner. More than two wards-worth of long-stay patients left hospital in the last few weeks alone.
The combination of unprecedented demand and long-stay patients has resulted in the long delays and overcrowding being experienced at our ‘front door’. While we do our best to ensure that patients are kept comfortable and updated while they wait, at exceptionally busy times this has not always been the case and for this I would like to offer my apologies.
I would like to take this opportunity to put on record how incredibly proud I am of our staff who worked tirelessly over the Christmas and New Year holidays – often at the expense of their personal and family time – to ensure patients are safe and well cared for. They continue 
to do so and your patience and understanding at this time is welcomed and appreciated.
Finally, I would remind all patients and our local communities to keep themselves and their loved ones safe by taking up the free ‘flu and Covid-19 vaccines where eligible.
Ian Moston, Chief Executive
