Covid pressure forces NHS in Norfolk and Waveney to declare 'critical incident'
Rising pressures caused by the Omicron variant have led health bosses to declare a "critical incident" across the whole of Norfolk and Waveney.
The area's clinical commissioning group (CCG) said a combination of high numbers needing ambulances and urgent hospital care, an increase in staff sickness, and issues with discharging people who are well enough to leave hospital meant patients were not being seen quickly enough.
By declaring a critical incident, Norfolk and Waveney CCG said it could take additional steps to keep its services safe.
They include creating extra bed capacity in both hospitals and the community, redeploying staff to where they are most needed, and giving extra support to care homes to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
But a spokesman warned it could mean care for those needing less urgent support could be delayed even further.
They said: "Patient safety must take priority and we need to take action to make sure that those who are more clinically urgent get the help they need as quickly as possible. This means that many patients in less urgent need of care may have to wait longer than we would like."
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital is at its highest level of alert - known as Opel 4 - with Covid-19 cases at record levels across the country.
It also has 170 patients taking up beds who could be discharged but have nowhere to go because social care packages are not yet in place.
Norfolk and Waveney CCG urged people to only call 999 and attend accident and emergency departments for serious and life-threatening incidents - and to contact NHS 111 for advice about the most appropriate care.