Critical incident stood down at hospital

An NHS hospital has stood down a critical incident that had been declared due to "severe and sustained pressure" on the service.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust declared a critical level incident at University Hospital Coventry on Thursday.

At the time a spokesperson said demand for beds had "led to significant and unacceptable delays" in the Emergency Department (ED).

On Saturday, the trust said pressure had "eased" although services remained "very busy".

A trust spokesperson said: "We are continuing to see high demand in our Emergency Department and across our wards."

They added that patients could help by only using the ED for "life-threatening emergencies".

For other health concerns, patients have been advised to use NHS 111 online or over the phone.

The spokesperson added: "We apologise to those who have been impacted by these pressures and want to thank our communities for their support.

"We also want to thank our colleagues, whose response to this critical incident has been outstanding."

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