Nottingham hospitals declare critical incident after record A&E demand

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has declared a critical incident after exceptionally high demand placed services under severe pressure.

The trust recorded three of its busiest A&E attendances on record within two weeks. More than 200 patients were in the emergency department when the incident was declared, including over 100 waiting to be seen, while some patients faced lengthy waits in corridors. September also brought 2,000 more A&E attendances than during the same month last year.

Pressure has been compounded by a high number of cardiology patients requiring intensive care for extended periods. Meanwhile, more than 200 people remained in hospital despite being medically ready to leave, occupying the equivalent of almost eight wards.

Additional staff are being asked to work shifts and teams are creating extra capacity while accelerating safe discharges. The public has been urged to attend A&E or call 999 only for serious accidents and life-threatening emergencies, using NHS 111, urgent treatment centres or pharmacies for other health concerns. Families have also been asked to collect relatives promptly when they are ready to leave hospital.

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