Sufferers at Royal Liverpool College Hospital’s accident and emergency unit are dealing with waits of as much as 50 hours.
Liverpool College Hospitals NHS Basis Belief has declared a “vital incident” attributable to “exceptionally excessive demand” on providers and urged individuals to solely go to A&E in a real medical emergency.
The hospital stated it was “extraordinarily busy” amid a rising variety of sufferers with flu and different respiratory situations.
Crucial incidents have additionally been declared within the East Midlands and Cornwall.
The East Midlands Ambulance Service – which covers Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire – has declared the primary vital incident in its historical past attributable to a mix of “vital affected person demand, stress inside hospitals and flooding”.
In the meantime, well being bosses have requested individuals affected by flu, Covid, norovirus or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to avoid the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s A&E division in Truro.
A Liverpool College Hospitals NHS Basis Belief spokesman stated emergency measures had been put in place which might permit managers to name for additional assist and to make modifications to make sure affected person security.
He stated the vital incident had been declared due to “exceptionally excessive calls for on our emergency division, particularly with flu and respiratory diseases, and the variety of sufferers”.
The choice had been taken “to assist the secure care and remedy of our sufferers, which is our absolute precedence”, he stated.
The belief stated managers have been working with companions to make sure that those that are medically match can go away hospital safely and on the earliest alternative.
The belief spokesman stated employees have been “working extremely laborious” to deal with individuals as rapidly as potential however warned some sufferers will “expertise longer waits whereas we deal with our sickest sufferers”.
Non-emergency sufferers are urged to as an alternative use different providers, akin to a GP, a neighborhood pharmacy or walk-in centre.
“We now have seen an rising variety of individuals with flu and respiratory diseases in our emergency departments in latest weeks,” the spokesman stated.
For individuals who do go to the emergency division, they requested sufferers and guests to observe further an infection management measures to assist curb the unfold of flu and norovirus.
“This contains practising good hand hygiene, solely visiting the areas they should in our hospitals and sporting masks in medical areas if requested to take action,” the spokesman stated.