Critical incident declared at hospital

People have been warned of lengthy waits if they go to the hospital's emergency department

A critical incident has been declared at a hospital due to "extremely high patient numbers".

North Bristol NHS Trust has asked people not to attend Southmead Hospital emergency department unless they require "critical, life-saving care".

In a video posted on social media on Tuesday afternoon, the trust said those who do attend the department may wait more than eight hours to be seen, or be sent to a "more appropriate service elsewhere".

"Please consider using alternative services, such as your local pharmacy or NHS 111," the trust said.

It said that the high patient numbers were across all areas of the hospital.

"If your loved one is in hospital and ready to go home, please help them by supporting their discharge home as soon as possible.

"We are incredibly grateful to our staff for their continued efforts in caring for patients during this particularly busy time," the trust added.