Critical incident at hospital trust stood down

The trust said it was using "all capacity possible" when the critical incident was declared

A critical incident at an NHS trust has been stood down but health bosses say pressures remain.

University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) NHS and Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board declared the incident at UHL on Wednesday saying a "higher than usual number of patients" were needing care.

In an update on Thursday, the trust said there had been "enough improvement" to stand the incident down.

However, UHL's medical director Andrew Furlong warned services remained under pressure with the emergency department at Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and the clinical decisions unit at Glenfield Hospital "still very busy".

People are still being advised to only seek emergency care in a "life or limb-threatening emergency".

Mr Furlong said: "Many of the partnership actions that led to improvements during the critical incident remain in place, with pressures expected to continue over the coming days.

"We need people to continue to use NHS services wisely, and only seek emergency care in life or limb-threatening situations.

"If it is not an emergency, please visit NHS 111 online or call NHS 111 for advice on how to get the care you need at any time of day or night."

Declaring a critical incident meant health bosses could take additional steps in the way services were managed, the trust said.

Some staff members were asked to return from annual leave to help UHL focus on the areas most in need.

The trust apologised to patients affected by longer waiting times at the LRI and Glenfield Hospital.