The Essex Resilience Forum added that such numbers were expected to increase further in the coming days and that cases were particularly high in Mid and South Essex.
Areas of concern included critical care and bed capacity, staff sickness and the ability to discharge patients quickly into safe environments.
Anthony McKeever, executive lead for Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership, said: “We are taking every action possible within the NHS and across the wider health and social care partnerships in Essex to limit the impact on the NHS and the wider health system.
Positive cases in Essex are expected to increase further in the coming days. Credit: PA
A MAJOR incident has been declared for the whole of Essex due to the strain coronavirus is putting on the county s health services. On Tuesday the number of patients in Essex receiving treatment for coronavirus exceeded those seen at the peak of the first wave of the virus in the spring. In response to the massive growth in demand on hospitals, particularly in mid and south Essex, the Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) has declared a major incident . This means the county can seek further financial support from the Government in a bid to help ease the pressure on the NHS.
COVID-19 pressure on the NHS and health system prompts ‘major incident’ declaration by Essex Resilience Forum
In response to a significant growing demand on hospitals and health and social care services across Essex, and particularly Mid and South Essex due to coronavirus, the Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) has today (Tuesday 29th December) declared a ‘major incident’ – enabling the county to seek further support from Government to address the pressures.
Local leaders from the ERF – a group that comprises the NHS, blue light responders and local authorities – say the pressures are being felt primarily in NHS and local authority services and are associated with critical care and bed capacity, staff sickness/self-isolation levels and the system’s ability to discharge patients quickly into safe environments.
2 months old
This article is more than 2 months old
Announcement made in response to ‘significant growing demand’ on hospitals and will enable local leaders to seek more support
The number of patients in Essex receiving treatment for coronavirus has increased to levels exceeding those seen at the peak of the first wave Photograph: John Keeble/Getty Images
The number of patients in Essex receiving treatment for coronavirus has increased to levels exceeding those seen at the peak of the first wave Photograph: John Keeble/Getty Images
PressAssociation
Wed 30 Dec 2020 01.30 EST
Local authorities in Essex have declared a “major incident” as the number of coronavirus cases threatens to overwhelm health services in the county.
Published:
7:19 AM December 30, 2020
Updated:
7:32 AM December 30, 2020
A major incident has been declared in Essex due to the rising levels of Covid-19
- Credit: SARAH LUCY BROWN
Local authorities in Essex have declared a “major incident” as the number of coronavirus cases puts health services in the county under further pressure.
The announcement has been made in response to a “significant growing demand” on hospitals across the county and will allow the county to seek more from the government, the Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) said.
The ERF – which is made up of members of the NHS, emergency services and local authorities – said the number of patients in Essex receiving treatment for coronavirus had now increased to levels exceeding those seen at the peak of the first wave.