Patients at a stretched hospital A&E told to go home unless they have a 'life-threatening illness'

Patients at stretched A&E at a north London hospital were told to go home and return in the morning unless they had a "life-threatening illness".

People who had waited for hours in North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton were told to come back the next day unless they had a life-threatening illness.

Hundreds of patients had arrived at the emergency department on Friday before the message was broadcast at about 11pm.

An announcement is reported to have said: “We would ask anyone who doesn’t have a life-threatening illness to go home and come back in the morning.”

A spokesman from the hospital trust said it was an “exceptionally busy Friday” with the hospital seeing 450 cases.

The hospital has faced extra pressure since the closure of the A&E ward at nearby Chase Farm Hospital.

A spokesman said more beds came available yesterday.