Critical incident declared at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

A critical incident has been declared at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust.

It follows a number of NHS trusts in England which have declared critical incidents amid “exceptionally high demands” on emergency departments.

Critical incidents can be declared when health and care services are so busy that special measures are needed to restore normal operations and keep patients safe.

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust also declared a critical incident on Monday evening.

Margaret Garbett, chief nurse at the Trust, said its situation is down to “extreme pressures” across services.

“This significant and sustained pressure is due in part to exceptional numbers of patients with flu requiring admission to hospital, this has now reached 311 inpatients and measures including mask-wearing in all departments is also being introduced,” she added.

“Despite expanding capacity in our wards and in our emergency departments, A&E remains overcrowded with extended waits to be seen.

“We are asking the communities we serve to think carefully about how they access healthcare - if you do not have an emergency or life-threatening condition you may be redirected to another healthcare service such as a pharmacy or NHS 111."

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