Salisbury District Hospital 'under intense pressure' amid capacity warning

People are being warned not to attend A&E at Salisbury District Hospital unless they have a life-threatening illness or severe injury, saying it is "under intense pressure".

The hospital said it is "full to capacity" with a significant number of patients waiting to be seen.

In a statement, a hospital spokesperson said: "We would like to ask for the community to support us as we work to alleviate the pressure and improve the flow of patients through the hospital.

"If people have a family member waiting to be discharged, please try to respond quickly to calls about their ongoing care at home or in another setting.

"Please avoid attending A&E unless you have a life-threatening illness or severe injury, this will help us prioritise the most urgent and critical patients."

People with minor injuries are also being asked to consider alternatives to A&E, like the Salisbury Walk-in Centre, NHS111, or local pharmacy.

The hospital remains open and patients with appointments are being told that they will be seen as normal, unless directly contacted by the hospital.

This isn't the first capacity warning that the Wiltshire hospital has issued, with a similar plea also at the start of October and in July and March 2022.