Derriford Hospital

We reviewed the equity in access quality statement for the responsive key question. The main problem was with crowding and limited capacity. The whole hospital was exceptionally busy and had declared an internal critical incident. Although policies and procedures were available to staff to help them respond to the continued increased attendance in the department, patients were not admitted, triaged or treated quickly to ensure they received care in the right place at the right time. The high numbers of patients attending the department put increased pressure on staff. The service maintained up to date policies and processes for patients requiring reasonable adjustments.