Health services in south under 'severe pressure'

University Hospital Southampton said patients were experiencing significant waiting times

Hospitals in the south of England are experiencing "severe pressure" on their emergency departments.

On Wednesday, University Hospital Southampton said patients had experienced significant waiting times to receive treatment.

A similar statement was released by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Trust on Tuesday, which said it was extremely busy.

Both asked people only to attend emergency departments for urgent care.

"We always prioritise our patients to ensure the most in need are seen soonest and this can cause delays for some patients for which we apologise," said a spokesperson for University Hospitals Dorset.

• Isle of Wight NHS trust declares another critical incident

• East of England Ambulance Service close to declaring major incident

• Devon health services under 'extreme pressure'

To ease the pressure across emergency departments, they said the trust is working with NHS partners across Dorset.

This would "ensure that when patients are medically ready to be cared for in the community they are able to leave with a suitable ongoing package of care to help free up space for new patients coming in".

Elsewhere in the UK, health and ambulance services have also been under pressure.

On 22 September, Isle of Wight NHS Trust declared a second critical incident due to high demand on its services.

Health Secretary Therese Coffey's announced her NHS plan on the same day which called for the one million volunteers who stepped up to support the NHS during the pandemic to come forward again.

The plan also introduced measures that aim to improve access to general practice so all patients who need an appointment can get one within two weeks.