Hospitals get back to normal as they call off swine flu emergency arrangements

Hospitals across Greater Manchester have called off emergency arrangements which saw them cancel thousands of operations to cope with swine flu.

Regional health bosses had asked hospitals to stop carrying out non-urgent surgery so they could double the intensive care capacity – to more than 200 beds.

The emergency arrangements which were brought in to cope after lots of people became seriously ill with complications from swine flu.

Some Greater Manchester hospitals will continue to cancel some operations until the end of this week.

Jane Cummings, chief nurse for the North West said: “The response of clinical teams, from GPs and primary care staff, to those working in hospitals and as part of our ambulance service has been amazing.

“This winter has been particularly tough and teams have been extremely flexible – putting in long hours, working in different areas and even different hospitals – to ensure that people who need emergency treatment get it.

“We plan for increases in activity every winter – but without the support and understanding of NHS staff, it wouldn’t work.”

NHS North West appealed to hospital bosses to cancel all non-urgent, non-life-threatening elective surgery, to make sure that hospitals had enough critical care beds to deal with a spike in the number of people being admitted with complications due to flu at the end of December.

Some cardiac treatment that requires specialist critical care are still on hold as hospitals across the region support the cardiac team at Wythenshawe Hospital, in south Manchester which are running a specialist ECMO service for swine flu patients.

Hospitals are continuing to monitor critical care admissions and will reopen extra beds if necessary.

Ms Cummings added: “I would also like to thank the public for their support and understanding at this difficult time.

“We will do all we can to ensure that those appointments that had to be postponed are re-scheduled as soon as possible.”