‘Highly disrespectful’: Trust refutes ‘inaccurate’ social media post about coronavirus at St Richard’s hospital

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital in Chichester as well as Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital, has issued a statement on Twitter.

It came after a post on social media claimed St Richard’s and other hospitals were not under pressure from coronavirus, accompanied by photos of empty hospital corridors.

A spokesman for the hospital trust said: “It is very disappointing to see misleading images and inaccurate comments on social media, suggesting that the NHS is not under pressure.

“This is untrue and highly disrespectful to all the patients and families affected by Covid, as well as our staff who are working extremely hard in challenging circumstances.

“Currently at Western Sussex Hospitals we are caring for a large number of patients with Covid-19 – in fact, many more than in the peak of the first wave last April.

“We must stress, pictures of empty corridors do not mean our wards and intensive care units are empty.

“For ten months our teams have been working selflessly to care for people during the pandemic.

“This is an extremely difficult situation for us all and it is really important that we support each other and act responsibly.

“Please do not attend our hospitals unless you have an appointment, have arranged to visit a loved one or it is an emergency.

“You can help save lives by keeping yourself safe. Please stay at home. Thank you.”