Staff at one major Merseyside hospital received an email this morning informing them the hospital had implemented a full-to-capacity protocol.
Those working at Southport Hospital were informed via email about the introduction of the protocol after the recent heatwave put more pressure on services. This also came at the same time the ECHO was told by one member of staff that a patient had been in the hospital's emergency department for more than 70 hours.
Earlier today MPs released a damning report into the crisis the NHS faces, with the cross-party committee saying that an extra 475,000 jobs will be needed in health and an extra 490,000 jobs in social care in a decade's time.
