THE extreme pressures in healthcare have been laid bare by the challenges facing Dorset County Hospital.

NHS England figures reveal the scale of the issues affecting the hospital as ambulances are held outside A&E for more than an hour in some cases - while wards are nearing capacity amid surging flu admissions.

During the week of 1 January, 98 per cent of the 352 beds at Dorset County Hospital's general and acute wards were occupied. All eight of the hospital's critical care beds were occupied.

Rising flu cases are putting DCH under additional strain - 54 flu patients were being treated on DCH wards as of 1 January - including two in critical care – an increase of nine from the previous week. No flu patients were being cared for at DCH as of November 14, the earliest available figures for this winter.

During the same timeframe, 23 per cent of the 327 ambulance arrivals at DCH were held up at A&E for more than an hour, while 39 per cent waited 30 minutes or more.

A handover delay does not always mean a patient has waited in the ambulance as they could have been moved into an A&E department but the handover was not completed.

A spokesperson for DCH said the last few weeks have been particularly challenging – issuing a plea for families to bring patients home to free up beds once they are deemed fit to be discharged.

Meanwhile local health campaigners are calling for community hospital wards to be reinstated, and say families often struggle to meet ongoing rehabilitation needs once loved ones are discharged.

In his first speech of 2023 last week the Prime Minister vowed to address record waiting lists, extended ambulance delays and rocketing flu patient numbers plaguing NHS trusts - as the Government wants to see hospital patients discharged into community care to reduce pressure on hospitals.

He said moving people out of hospitals into community care "is one of the most powerful ways we can ease some of the pressures on A&E departments and ambulances that are waiting too long."

Echoing his call, co-founder of Portland Carers Support Group Jo Dolbear wants to see Portland Community Hospital beds reinstated after they were axed in 2018. The beds were used for rehabilitating patients discharged from DCH.

“Families need to be able to cope with care needs – there is very little rehabilitation support - it’s very difficult trying to look after somebody without a hoist if they’re unable to walk,” she said.

Addressing the issues highlighted following Mr Sunak's speech, a Dorset County Hospital spokesperson said: “The last few weeks have been particularly challenging for the region and this has had a knock-on effect for individual Trusts.

"Every patient who arrives at our Emergency Department, whether by ambulance or any other means, is risk assessed and prioritised so that those in the most urgent need are seen first.

"For those arriving by ambulance, we work closely with the South Western Ambulance Service to prioritise the level of urgency. Even though staff are working under very challenging circumstances, they remain dedicated to treating patients as quickly as they can and providing the best possible care."

Responding to the shortage of beds, the spokesperson added: "We are asking patients’ families to get their loved ones home as quickly as possible once they are ready to be discharged, so our inpatient beds are available for those who need them most for urgent care. 

"We are continuing to work with our partner agencies to see where they can assist." 

More information is available at www.dchft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/patient-discharge-information