Lincolnshire: Under-pressure hospital trust declares 'critical incident'

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust runs four hospitals, including County Hospital in Lincoln

A critical incident has been declared at four hospitals in Lincolnshire due to "significant pressures" on services.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) runs sites in Lincoln, Grantham, Boston and Louth.

Emergency departments were busy and some routine operations had been cancelled, according to Andrew Morgan, ULHT's chief executive.

The trust's hospitals were "continuing to see exceptionally high levels of demand for our services", he said.

The critical incident was declared on Tuesday at Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital in Boston and County Hospital in Louth.

'Small impact'

Mr Morgan said many people coming to A&E were "very unwell and require further treatment" but that there were "significant challenges" in finding available hospital beds.

"We continue to do all we can with partner health and care organisations to ensure care is available for those who need it and those who are medically fit for discharge can return home or to another place of care quickly and safely," he said.

"While the majority of our services remain available, there has regrettably been a small impact on routine procedures. Individuals affected by this are being contacted directly by our teams. We continue to review our position to ensure there is no unnecessary impact on those who are waiting for treatment.

"Our colleagues are working exceptionally hard to ensure the safe delivery of care in these challenging circumstances and I thank them for their continued efforts," Mr Morgan added.

Ambulance staff across England and Wales, including East Midlands Ambulance Service, which covers Lincolnshire, are expected to go on strike on Wednesday.