6 January 2009
Following last night's snowfall, we are pleased to confirm that services at Sutton and St Helier hospitals are running as usual, with no disruptions.
However, in Epsom Hospital, where the snowfall was significantly heavier, a small number of non-urgent planned surgery cases have been postponed today. Doing this allows us to prioritise urgent patients, and those who are brought in as emergencies.
Patients affected by any disruption to our services have already been notified. We are obviously monitoring the situation closely, and will make any decisions about postponing further services on a day-to-day basis.
Outpatient services across the Trust are running as usual, so people with appointments scheduled at Sutton, St Helier or Epsom hospitals should attend as planned. However, if it is not safe for you to get to hospital or you would like to rearrange your appointment, please call our outpatient appointments centre on 020 8296 2968 to let us know. Alternatively, you can visit our online appointments centre.
All of the Trust's hospitals are now busy, having seen an increase in the number of patients attending because of accidents in the icy conditions, seasonal illnesses and chest infections. Because of this, we are encouraging local people to make sure they are accessing the right care from the right service.
Chief Executive Samantha Jones said: "During cold snaps such as this one, more and more people fall ill or have accidents out on the icy roads and pavements. This puts our hospitals under increased pressure, and, as such, we are asking people to only visit our A&E departments if they have suffered a serious injury or accident, or have developed a sudden serious illness or medical condition."
The current adverse weather conditions have also made it difficult for people across large parts of London and the south east to travel. As a result, Trust staff and volunteers have found it hard to get to work today.
Samantha said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our staff and volunteers for their fantastic efforts in getting to work today. I know it's not easy to travel at the moment, but our dedicated team of staff and volunteers ensure that our hospitals continue to run smoothly and safely for the benefit of all our patients."
