Portsmouth: Critical incident declared at Queen Alexandra Hospital

The trust said it was working with other partners in the south of England to provide capacity in all services

A hospital trust has declared a critical incident as demand for emergency response is "far outstripping" capacity.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust - which runs Queen Alexandra Hospital - confirmed the decision would affect the emergency department only.

"Our capacity will only be used for life-threatening conditions or injuries," the trust said.

Where necessary, people will instead be redirected to alternative services.

The trust said it was making the decision "to protect patient safety".

"We are working closely with our partners across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who are also taking critical incident actions to provide capacity in all services," it added.

'Difficult and busy'

The trust thanked patients for their support "during this difficult and busy time".

Earlier in the month, University Hospital Southampton said patients had experienced significant waiting times.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Trust also released a statement saying it was extremely busy.