The South West hospitals operating at 'critical' level - and the ones which aren't
Critical incidents have been declared at more than half a dozen hospitals in the South West as Covid is placing additional pressure on the NHS.
Thousands of NHS workers are off due to Covid-related sickness or isolation and six out of 15 acute NHS trusts in the West Country have now declared critical incidents.
Below we'll keep you updated with the latest information for every major hospital in the region...
What it a 'critical incident'?
Critical incidents are declared when health bosses are concerned they cannot provide priority services.
Normally they only last a couple of days but act as a warning resources may need to be diverted to help frontline hospital services or some non-urgent appointments may need to be postponed.
When hospitals declare a critical incident, it means they can take additional steps to maintain safe services for patients to help them cope with demand.
This might include opening up extra beds and ward space as well as request additional staff.
If pressure doesn't ease on individual hospitals, other hospitals may be able to take on some of their patients.
If pressure still does not ease, the government can call in the military to plug any staffing gaps. Ministers have said we are nowhere near this stage at the moment.
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) - critical incident declared
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the the BRI, declared a critical incident over the New Year bank holiday.
When asked if the critical incident was still in place on January 5, a spokesperson for the healthcare system in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire said the NHS in the area is operating at its "highest state of alert".
They said the healthcare system is "extremely busy" and declaring a critical incident means the hospital could open up extra beds and ward space, as well as request additional staff
Weston General Hospital - critical incident declared
Weston General Hospital is run by UHBW which has declared a critical incident.
Southmead Hospital, Bristol - critical incident declared
North Bristol NHS Trust - which runs Southmead - declared a critical incident over the New Year bank holiday.
Bath and North East Somerset
Royal United Hospital - critical incident declared
The RUH in Bath is operating under a critical incident which was declared on New Year's Eve.
A spokesperson told ITV News: “The RUH declared an internal critical incident on December 31 due to ongoing challenges with increasing numbers of Covid-19 patients, availability of beds and the impact of staff sickness and isolation.”
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire Royal - critical incident declared
The trust has 121 patients who are positive for coronavirus, with four of those people being treated in intensive care.
Qadar Zada, who is the chief operating officer at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, said the “high levels of demand for services” are both Covid and non-Covid-related.
Cheltenham General - critical incident declared
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Cheltenham General, has declared a critical incident.
Somerset
Musgrove Park Hospital
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at Musgrove Park Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for the latest on how Covid is impacting its services.
Yeovil District Hospital
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at Yeovil District Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for comment.
Wiltshire
Great Western Hospital - critical incident declared
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Swindon has said it is "extremely busy" as 67 patients are treated for Covid and many members of staff isolate.
In a statement, the trust said: "We currently have 67 patients being treated for Covid-19, of which five are in ICU (intensive care unit).
"These pressures are made more challenging as we have many staff off sick with Covid-19 or isolating, or with other conditions.
"We are working with partners to get patients home as soon as they are well enough, and would ask local families to support us by collecting your loved ones promptly and making sure their home is ready for their return.”
Salisbury Hospital
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at Salisbury Hospital.
A spokesperson said: "Like colleagues elsewhere we are experiencing staffing challenges relating to Covid illness and isolation.
"Today - as of 8.15am - the hospital has 430 inpatients - which can be seen as very full and busy. We have 17 COVID-19 positive patients."
Dorset
Dorset County Hospital
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at Dorset County Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for comment.
Devon
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
The Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for comment.
Derriford Hospital - critical incident declared
Bosses at Derriford Hospital has almost 500 members of staff absent due to Covid and so declared a critical incident yesterday (January 4).
Chief Operating Officer Jo Beer said: "This is due to the high pressure on urgent care services and increasing demand for Covid beds.
"We currently have 99 Covid positive patients across Derriford and our three community hospitals and just under 500 staff absent for Covid-related reasons."
Torbay Hospital
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has not declared a critical incident at Torbay Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for comment.
Cornwall
Royal Cornwall Hospital
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has not declared a critical incident at Treliske Hospital. ITV News has approached the trust for comment.
'The NHS is on a war footing'
NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the full scale of rising Omicron cases and its impact on the NHS is not yet known.
He added: "But having hit a ten month high for the number of patients in hospital with Covid while wrestling with sharply increasing staff absences, we are doing everything possible to free up beds and get people home to their loved ones – and in the last week hundreds more beds were freed up each day compared to the week before.
“On top of the incredible efforts made by staff to get people out of hospital safely, we are also making every possible preparation for the uncertain challenges of Omicron, including setting up new Nightingale surge hubs at hospitals across the country and recruiting thousands of nurses and reservists.
“The NHS is on a war footing, and while staff remain braced for the worst, with Covid absence for NHS staff almost doubling in the past fortnight, keeping as many colleagues as possible at work on the frontline and minimising absence, will be essential in the next few weeks.
“As staff throw everything at preparing for this next wave, the public can play their part in protecting themselves by getting the first, second and booster jabs, as tens of millions of others already have.”