Operations cancelled at Northampton hospital as A&E patients soar

Patients are being told to see their GP or pharmacist if they do not need urgent care.

Northampton General Hospital is apologising to patients whose non-urgent operations have been cancelled due to a high number of people seeking urgent care.

A spokeswoman for NGH said: "Because of the high volume of patients who are coming to the hospital, we have had to take the decision to cancel some non-urgent operations this week.

"We would like to thank everyone for being so understanding in helping us to treat people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries.

"Our main priority is to keep our patients safe and to do this we do sometimes have to make the tough decision to cancel non-urgent operations."

Patients will have been notified if their operation has been cancelled and the hospital is trying to reschedule appointments.

The hospital is now encouraging families to help make their loved ones' transition back home more comfortable.

"We are also asking for relatives and friends to ensure they are ready to collect their loved ones from the hospital," the spokeswoman added.

"Please make sure you are available to take them home and that they have the necessary things available to keep them well looked after during their recovery.

"This includes clean, comfortable clothing, making sure the house is warm enough for when they return home and ensuring that they have food, drink and medication available.

"This helps us to get your loved one back to the comfort of their home sooner and provides a bed for a seriously unwell patient."

The hospital says that anyone planning on visiting A&E should think about whether it is the right place to go. If your illness or injury is not life-threatening please use other services such as your GP, pharmacist, self-care or NHS 111.