Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals: Critical incident stood down

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust runs the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

A critical incident declared by a hospital trust amid "exceptionally high levels of demand" has ended.

On Friday, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) said its hospitals had been experiencing a "prolonged and intense period of pressure".

The incident meant the hospitals could not provide priority services,

However, on Saturday afternoon SaTH said following a review all services had resumed as normal.

The trust, which runs the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, said it had been experiencing "significant pressure on both staff and the demand through Covid and urgent care".

It said it had redeployed staff on Friday to help in emergency departments and on wards.

Critical incidents are seen as a warning to the wider health system that measures are being taken to safeguard the most critical areas of healthcare.

They are not uncommon in the winter, with several trusts including SaTH, declaring critical incidents at the beginning of January.