Critical incident declared at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust declared a critical incident after a rise in winter infections and staff sickness led to sustained pressure, long waits and overcrowding at the Queen's Medical Centre emergency department.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has declared a critical incident as its two main hospitals are experiencing significant and unacceptable delays. The trust says a rise in winter infections and staff sickness since Christmas has caused severe and sustained pressure on the emergency department and hospital wards. The Queen's Medical Centre emergency department was designed for about 350 patients a day but has regularly seen more than 500. Hospital leaders reported patients facing lengthy waits on corridors and said demand has exceeded forecast modelling. Known details: - The trust announced the critical incident on Tuesday and described pressures "like never before." - The Queen's Medical Centre ED is regularly treating over 500 patients daily despite a design capacity of about 350. - NUH reported unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors and said demand on beds exceeded its forecast modelling. - The trust will rearrange some elective procedures, open all available beds and spaces, redeploy staff, and work with NHS and local partners to speed up discharges. Summary: The trust says declaring the incident is intended to protect patient safety while staff manage exceptional demand and long waits. Officials report steps to create capacity and coordinate with partners, and the next operational actions include postponing some elective work, opening additional spaces and supporting faster discharges.