Worcestershire Acute Hospitals hit peak pressure

The trust is working with health and care organisations to use all available capacity

Two Worcestershire hospitals are operating at their peak level of pressure and diverting some ambulances outside the county.

Alexandra Hospital, in Redditch, and the Royal Worcestershire Hospital are at "level four alert", which means they are not coping with demand.

Some ambulances were sent to Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, during a two-hour period overnight, the trust said.

Patients were urged to seek alternatives to A&E where possible.

"Both our sites are still extremely busy today and this is continuing to cause issues with ambulance handovers," said a Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman.

It said it was working hard to free up capacity "as a matter of urgency".

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The trust added it was also working with other health and care organisations to use all available capacity across the county and elsewhere.

It said alternatives to the emergency department included GPs, minor injury units and the NHS 111 service.

Currently in special measures, the trust said last summer £8m of extra funding should bring much-needed extra beds by the winter.