Critical incident declared over A&E demand

UHNM said its hospitals had been under increasing pressure since the weekend

A Staffordshire hospital trust has declared a critical incident for the fifth time this year amid acute pressure on services.

University Hospitals of North Midlands Trust (UHNM) said Royal Stoke and County Hospital, Stafford, had been under increased pressure since the weekend.

The number of people attending emergency departments and needing to be admitted had risen, it said.

As a result, UHNM warned, some patients waiting for treatment in A&E could face much longer delays than usual, as staff continued to prioritise the sickest.

People have been urged to only use A&E in a serious or life-threatening emergency.

Moving to a critical incident footing - the highest alert level used by the NHS - would allow the trust to "maintain safe services", it stated.

The measure means a hospital can cancel or delay non-essential work.

To try to ease pressures, UHNM said it was working with other parts of the NHS and local councils to find ways of discharging patients who did not need acute hospital care.

The trust last declared a critical incident in June, again citing high demand on its services.