Another hospital trust has declared a critical incident due to “severe and sustained pressure” on its services.
Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) trust said rising demand, winter infections, and staff sickness since Christmas had led to “significant and unacceptable delays” in its emergency department and hospital wards.
The trust has asked the public to only use its A&E “in an emergency or serious accident”.
It comes after four hospital trusts in southeast England declared critical incidents on Monday after a “surge” in complex A&E admissions.
The critical incidents in Surrey affect three trusts – Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has also declared a critical incident due to “sustained pressures” at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.
Andrew Hall, chief operating officer at NUH, said: “We are experiencing pressures like never before.
“Despite our teams working tirelessly, the demand on our hospitals far exceeds our capacity. Declaring a Critical Incident is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect patient safety.
“I am deeply sorry for the poor experience this is causing and ask everyone to treat our staff with kindness as they work through this difficult period to deliver the quality of care that you expect.”
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