Public told not to attend under pressure Wigan A&E

The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary has declared a critical incident

The public has been advised not to attend an under pressure A&E "unless you have a life or limb-threatening emergency".

The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan was forced to declare a critical incident on Tuesday afternoon following "unprecedented" demand.

The hospital trust said in a statement the "A&E is full" and asked people not to attend.

The trust added that they were urgently working to free up beds.

In a statement, the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "Unfortunately, this does mean some non-urgent operations and appointments will need to be re-arranged to allow our teams to care for patients with the most urgent needs.

"The safety of our patients and our staff is always our top priority and we are working through who needs our help as quickly and as safely as we can.

"We must prioritise treatment for patients with life and limb-threatening conditions and injuries."

• Why are nurses and ambulance staff striking?

The public is advised to visit NHS 111 online, contact a GP or a local pharmacy for advice if their condition is not life-threatening.

The incident comes on the first of two NHS strike days.

Royal College of Nursing members walked out earlier and the North West Ambulance Service is striking on Wednesday.

The East of England Ambulance Service also earlier declared a critical incident following "huge pressure" from 999 calls and hospital handover delays.