Overview
- Nottingham University Hospitals and Sherwood Forest Hospitals declared critical incidents on Tuesday, following four trusts in Surrey and Kent that escalated on Monday.
- Trusts cite rising flu and norovirus cases, staff sickness and recent cold weather, with NHS figures showing norovirus-related bed use up 27% week on week and longer ambulance handover delays.
- Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre is regularly seeing over 500 A&E patients a day despite being designed for around 350, leading to lengthy waits and corridor care, officials said.
- Hospitals are rescheduling some non-urgent operations and outpatient appointments, opening all available beds and spaces, redeploying staff and accelerating discharges to protect urgent care.
- Leaders are urging people to use A&E only for emergencies and to consider NHS 111, pharmacies or urgent treatment centres, as national officials warn winter pressures remain severe.