Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital critical incident declared

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) declared a critical incident its Queen Alexandra Hospital last month and in November

A hospital trust said it had declared a critical incident for the third time in three months as its wards and emergency department were "full".

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said on Wednesday the move was to "protect patient safety".

It apologised for delays which it blamed on a combination of slow systems and increased demand for services at Queen Alexandra Hospital.

A critical incident was also declared there last month and in November.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust said anyone attending A&E who did not need to be treated there would be redirected to another service in a bid to ease the "intolerable delays".

"Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust have [sic] declared a critical incident to protect patient safety as the hospital and emergency department is full," it said.

It added: "Our hospital has been under pressure for a while and we are already experiencing a difficult week, following the bank holiday weekends, and as we cope with increasing winter pressures and low staffing numbers, particularly in our Emergency Department.

"We need help from our community to make sure that our hospital can continue to care for those who need our services."

The trust said relatives could help by taking patients home quickly from hospital to free up space and reduce delays.

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