Health bosses in Nottinghamshire say they are working to manage pressures after a critical incident was declared by Nottinghamshire University Hospitals Trust (NUH) on Wednesday, September 28. Officials at the trust, which runs QMC and City Hospital, say discharging patients is an "ongoing challenge" and that waiting numbers in hospitals are high as a result.
The NHS trust has postponed non-urgent operations as it prioritises patients with the "highest level of need". To reduce pressure on emergency departments and ambulances, people are also being asked to use NHS services like the 111 phone line and urgent treatment centres where possible.
A critical incident is declared when the level of disruption results in a local NHS organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services. A similar situation is under way at Sherwood Forest Hospital NHS Trust, which has also seen extended waiting times to access beds in hospitals.
