Hospitals in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire declare critical incident for second week in a row

A critical incident covering the entire Nottingham and Nottinghamshire NHS system remains in place - a week after it was first declared.

It was first declared on January 3, as the NHS responded to the high number of people needing care, alongside reduced staffing. This led to long waits in A&E departments, as well as long wait time for admission onto hospital wards.

After the junior doctors' strike ended on Tuesday 9 January, the hospitals say "staffing levels have not improved."

They added that the system "remains under severe pressure", meaning it is not yet able to remove the 'critical incident' status.

The hospitals have said the high demand has a number of factors behind it, but noted in particular "the number of people presenting with seasonal and respiratory illnesses such as flu and Covid."

Patients are advised to only attend A&E if they have "a life-threatening illness or injury that cannot be treated elsewhere."

If their condition isn't life-threatening, people are advised to call 111.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...