Hospital A&E under significant pressure, trust says

A trust has said sorry for holding patients in corridors

A hospital emergency department is under significant pressure due to staffing levels and high demand, an NHS trust has said.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said East Surrey Hospital A&E in Redhill was grappling with an early increase in winter viruses.

The trust said: "Holding any patients in the main corridor is always a last resort and we are very sorry to patients who have been cared for in this way."

It comes amid a rise in Covid cases with new variants Nimbus and Stratus circulating around the UK..

Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that the common cold - which can be dangerous for vulnerable people - has also been on the increase in recent weeks.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said it was "urgently" trying to get corridor patients into an appropriate setting as quickly as possible.

It added: "Our staff are working hard to keep patients safe, support ambulance services... and admit all those who need our care."

The trust urged people with non-urgent conditions to use other NHS services, such as 111, their local pharmacy or GP, or nearby treatment centres at Crawley, Caterham Dene, Horsham and East Grinstead.