All outpatient appointments and surgery at one English hospital have been cancelled due to crippling demand.
Grimsby's Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital has axed the appointemnents for the rest of the week due to "extremely high levels of demand", with the trust's chief oerating officer saying the decision was "the only option".
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG) is also understood to be contacting anyone who will be affected by the cancellations.
Cancer treatments and diagnostic tests will reportedly continue as normal, as well as elective procedures and appointments at nearby Scunthorpe General Hospital, GrimsbyLive reports.
In a post to its Facebook page, the trust wrote: "Due to extremely high levels of demand, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel outpatient appointments and elective surgical procedures due to take place at our Grimsby hospital for the remainder of this week.
"Cancer treatments will continue as normal and, at this stage, we have no plans to cancel diagnostic tests. Elective procedures and appointments due to be carried out in Scunthorpe and Goole will also go ahead as planned."
Chief Operating Officer, Shaun Stacey, added: “I completely understand how frustrating this will be if you or a loved one was due to come into Grimsby for treatment this week and I am very sorry to have had to take this step.
“Your health will always be our top priority and our teams are working extremely hard to provide emergency care to those with the greatest need.
“However, demand for our services has been incredibly high for a sustained period of time and, in order to continue to meet those demands, this was the only option open to us.”
Mr Stacey is also urging family members of inpatients to "come and collect them" at the earliest opportunity.
"If you have a loved one who has been in our care, but you have now been told they’re ready to come home, we’d appreciate it if you could come and collect them as soon as possible," he said.
“No one wants to be in hospital for longer than they need to be and, when demand for beds is high, it also helps us to ensure that these beds are given to those who need them most.”
The COO is also asking people to consider whether attending the A&E department at Grimsby Hospital is necessary and whether or not there is another way to seek medical help.
“If there isn’t, then please don’t put off coming. We are still here if you need us. However, if you have an urgent medical problem and you’re not sure what to do, please call the NHS 111 line for advice from their specialist clinical team," he said.
“You can also speak to your GP or pharmacist for advice and, if you live in North East Lincolnshire or are registered with a GP in the area, you can call the Single Point of Access (SPA) clinical team on 01472 256256.
“Anyone coming to A&E who doesn’t need urgent emergency treatment is likely to have a long wait, as we will always prioritise seeing patients in the greatest need of our care.
“Once again, I apologise and thank you for your understanding and support.”
