Four trusts report quarter of all ‘critical incidents’

More than a quarter of ‘critical incidents’ have been declared by just four trusts since the start of the crisis in urgent and emergency care.

Data obtained by HSJ shows 241 critical incidents have been declared by organisations due to “operational” or “system pressures” between April 2021, when long waits for urgent care began to surge upwards, and last month. Four trusts account for 68 of these (28%).

Critical incidents are declared when the level of disruption “results in an organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services, or where patients and staff may be at risk of harm”. These incidents may require “special measures and support from other agencies, to restore normal operating functions,” according to the NHS England definition. 

Most critical incidents were only in place for a few days before being stood down by the trust or system, but some were in place for much longer – sometimes for several months at a time, the data suggests.

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Source: HSJ, 25 October 2023