Hospital still busy as critical incident stood down

A hospital has stood down a critical incident after 24 hours following "significant work and effort" across its services.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) declared a critical incident on Wednesday after it said there was an exceptionally high demand for emergency care and significant pressure on hospital beds.

Gaby Harris, the Coventry-based hospital's chief operating officer, said the situation had eased after the public was urged to use the emergency care department for life-threatening injuries only.

However, she stressed it remained "very busy" and teams were continuing to "work incredibly hard to make sure patients receive safe and timely care".

Harris advised the public to continue to only turn up at A&E if their situation was life-threatening, and use NHS 111 online or by phone if non-emergency medical help was needed.

She thanked colleagues for their "exceptional response" during a "very challenging period".

"We apologise to anyone whose care or experience has been affected and thank you for continuing to support our teams," the chief operating officer added.

Chief nursing officer Tracey Brigstock said on Wednesday the critical incident had been declared because demand was "exceeding capacity", causing long waits for some patients.

She added the decision had not been taken lightly and it had been "necessary to protect patient safety".

A critical incident is declared when a hospital is under extreme pressure that threatens its ability to deliver safe and effective care.

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