Hospitals Canceling Operations In London Because Of Riots

Riots in London got so bad that some patients were having their scheduled operations canceled as managers ordered a lockdown to protect their premises. The National Health Service (NHS) says contingency plans have been put into practice so that casualties resulting from the civil unrest can be dealt with.

A number of hospitals have canceled all non-urgent surgical interventions. Patients who have recovered early from operations are being discharged early. Hospital managers say it is vital to free up beds in case they need to deal with a large number of major trauma injuries.

Casualty wards in several parts of the capital and some other major cities have been placed on alert. Ealing Hospital, according to London's Evening Standard is on a night-time lockdown.

Managers at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel say they will cancel operations and send some patients home early if the local situation deteriorates - for the moment the hospital says things are running as normal.

A spokesperson for the Royal London Hospital said:

"We have a well-rehearsed plan as soon as a major incident is declared. We're fortunate to have one of the leading A&E departments in the country."

Ambulance crews

Sir Keith Pearson, chairman of the NHS Confederation wrote:

"Given recent events, I think it is important to highlight how ambulance crews and their frontline NHS colleagues in our major cities have been doing the NHS proud over the last few days. In the most difficult of circumstances, they have often had to risk their own safety while continuing to provide round-the-clock care for the sick, injured and vulnerable.

While I hope the overwhelming majority of people will want to join me in expressing thanks for their hard work, there have been reports of people intimidating and throwing missiles at staff as they go to incidents during the disturbances. The NHS Confederation fully supports its members as they do all they can to protect staff. NHS staff should never have to face intimidation at work and I would like to praise them for a difficult job well done."

Royal College of Nursing

The RCN (Royal College of Nursing) says it expects health care organizations to be reviewing risk assessments and measures to protect medical staff. Of particular concern are community nurses who work alone on twilight or evening shifts.

The RCN stresses that an employee can withdraw from a work situation to a place of safety if they believe they are facing "serious or imminent danger" - according to the Employment Rights Act.

If you are a nurse and you believe your concerns are not being addressed properly, the RCN will raise them with NHS Protect. Call RCN Direct on 0345 772 6100.