Seventeen hospitals across Greater Manchester have been forced to pause some non-urgent surgery and appointments due to the impact of Covid.
High and rising levels of staff absence are the main reason for the changes - with around 15 percent of the region’s workforce off either ill with Covid or isolating, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership said.
Health chiefs expect the challenges may “get worse, not better” within the next fortnight.
Those patients affected by the changes are being contacted, reports the Manchester Evening News.
And the Partnership said it hopes the “temporary measure” will impact the “fewest number of patients”.
Have you been affected by the changes? Let us know at webnews@mirror.co.uk
Cancer and urgent care patients - including those due to undergo cardiac surgery, vascular surgery and transplantation - will not be affected.
The Christie and Rochdale Infirmary will continue to provide cancer care and surgery.
Diagnostic services, including endoscopy, and the majority of our out-patient services will continue “wherever possible”, the Partnership added.
Covid admissions are rising sharply in the region, from 126 patients on December up to 359 on January 2.
Inpatient diagnoses have risen from 193 to 738 in the same period.
In some hospitals more than one in five patients have Covid, the Partnership says.
Fiona Noden is chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and co-chair of Greater Manchester Hospital Gold command and lead for elective care in the region.
She said: “This has been a very difficult decision and not one that we have taken lightly, but we’ve done it so we can keep people safe, can maintain the very best infection control measures, can make sure we deploy staff to where they’re needed most and can keep looking after people who need urgent and emergency care, including cancer treatment.
“We would urge anyone with health concerns to continue to come forward for help and treatment in the usual way, using their local emergency department only for serious illnesses or injuries.
“And we would also ask everyone to keep doing their bit to minimise the spread of the virus – please get vaccinated and boosted, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces, wash your hands more frequently and minimise your contact with people outside your immediate household.”
The Partnership's statement added: “We understand how disappointing this will be for patients who have appointments or procedures affected, especially those who have already waited some time, and we know people will be worried.
“While you Wait is an online resource launched in Greater Manchester to help patients manage their physical and mental wellbeing while waiting for hospital care, by providing information and advice.”
The announcement comes after the Prime Minister announced no new restrictions would yet be brought into place to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.
While Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said approximately half a dozen hospitals across the country have declared critical incidents in the last five days.
The hospitals affected are:
- Royal Bolton Hospital
- Fairfield General Hospital
- Manchester Royal Infirmary
- Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
- University Dental Hospital of Manchester
- St Mary’s Hospital
- North Manchester General Hospital
- The Royal Oldham Hospital
- Salford Royal Hospital
- Stepping Hill Hospital
- Tameside General Hospital
- Trafford General Hospital
- Royal Albert Edward Infirmary
- Wrightington Hospital
- Leigh Infirmary
- Wythenshawe Hospital
- Macclesfield District General Hospital
