NHS trust declares critical incident in city

A critical incident has been declared by University Hospitals Birmingham because of what it says are extreme pressures on services.

The first week of January has seen an "exceptional number" of patients with flu requiring hospital admission, which has now affected 311 inpatients, the NHS trust said.

Measures including mask-wearing have been introduced across its departments, it added.

NHS Trusts in areas including Liverpool, Plymouth and Winchester also declared critical incidents on Tuesday, citing high demand for emergency care.

"Despite expanding capacity in our wards and in our emergency departments, A&E remains overcrowded with extended waits to be seen," said Margaret Garbett, chief nurse at University Hospitals Birmingham.

"We are asking the communities we serve to think carefully about how they access healthcare."

She urged people who do not have an emergency or life-threatening condition to use alternative services, including a pharmacy or calling 111.

University Hospitals Birmingham is one of the largest NHS trusts in England, caring for more than 2.2 million patients each year.

It runs four hospitals: Heartlands in Bordesley Green, the Queen Elizabeth in Edgbaston, Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield and Solihull.

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