King's Mill Hospital bosses urge communities to 'help ease pressures' on NHS as critical incident declared

The incident, the second in as many weeks, is in response to “the large number of very poorly people arriving at local emergency departments who need to be admitted into hospital, with many suffering from respiratory conditions”.

And Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs King’s Mill, said: “Those issues are made more challenging by the fact there are currently 87 patients who are waiting to be discharged from SFH who have been medically fit to be discharged for more than 24 hours.”

The trust, which also runs Mansfield Community and Newark hospitals, is also caring for 76 patients with flu and a further 68 patients with Covid.

It said hospitals are taking additional steps to prioritise and maintain safe services for patients, to ensure staff can continue to be able to manage emergency care.

Stuart Poynor, NHS Nottinghamshire deputy chief executive, said: “The NHS is open for business and our services are there for anyone who needs them, but we are prioritising patients with the highest level of need, particularly those requiring urgent and emergency care.

“There are things everyone can do to help and we are asking people to use our services wisely and to think about self-care as an option for some conditions, such as coughs and colds, before automatically going to the NHS for help. If self-care isn't an option, choosing the right service will help patients to get the right treatment first time and usually more quickly.

“We are expecting the New Year bank holiday to be particularly busy, so are asking people to plan ahead around important things like repeat prescriptions, but also to think about how they can support our healthcare system at the busiest time of the year.”

Advice includes:

If your relative is due to be discharged from hospital and needs to be collected, please do so as early as possible;

Only call 999 or attend A&E departments for serious accidents and for genuine emergencies – urgent treatment centres, such as at Newark, treat injuries including sprains, strains, suspected fractures, bites, cuts, scalds and other non-emergency conditions and waiting times are usually much shorter than A&E;

Where the situation is not life-threatening, alternative support will be available through NHS111 online or by calling 111;

Pharmacies can offer over the counter advice and treat common illnesses.

Maggie Mcmanus, SFH deputy chief operating officer, said: “Demand for NHS services remains high across the county right now and every hospital bed really does count when it comes to ensuring patients can access the healthcare they need as quickly and safely as possible.

“Once patients have received that vital hospital care, we know our hospitals aren’t the best place for them to continue their longer-term recovery.

“Every hospital bed really does count and we all have a part to play in ensuring we choose the right NHS service for our needs, as well as supporting our loved ones to leave hospital as soon as they are fit to do so.

“Please continue to support our hardworking NHS staff to ensure they can continue to focus on providing hospital care to those who really do need it most.”