Critical incident declared over hospitals' delays

An NHS trust has declared a critical incident because of "severe and sustained pressure" on its services.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, which runs University Hospital Coventry and Hospital of St Cross in Rugby, announced the decision on Thursday evening.

The trust said a demand for hospital beds had exceeded the forecast amount, triggering significant and unacceptable delays in the emergency department and across hospital wards.

"Patients are experiencing unacceptable and lengthy waits and staff are working under extreme pressure," a spokesperson for the trust said.

Tracey Brigstock, chief nursing officer, said: "We are experiencing exceptional pressure across our services, particularly in our Emergency Department.

"Despite our teams working tirelessly, demand is exceeding our capacity.

"Declaring a Critical Incident is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect patient safety."

She urged people to only attend A&E if they have a life-threatening emergency and to use NHS 111, GP services or urgent treatment centres where appropriate.

"I am sorry for the disruption this may cause and thank our staff for their continued professionalism," she said.

"I also ask everyone to be patient and kind to our teams during this challenging time."

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