A serious incident has been declared at Walsall Manor Hospital after a ‘critical incident’ was declared earlier on Sunday. Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said it had taken the ‘difficult decision’ to declare a serious incident after ‘sustained pressure on our urgent and emergency care services’. A spokesperson for the trust said: ‘This means that we cannot guarantee our usual standards of care and that people may experience longer waits for treatment.’ Ambulances are being diverted to other hospitals in the region and people are being urged to only attend the emergency department in a genuine emergency. The trust said it was ‘working hard’ to resolve the situation and that it would provide regular updates. NHS England has been contacted for comment.
Earlier, the trust had declared a ‘critical incident’ due to ‘extreme pressures’ on its emergency department. A statement on the trust’s website said: ‘We are currently experiencing extreme pressures on our Emergency Department (ED) and have declared a critical incident.’ The statement added: ‘This means that we are unable to provide our usual standards of care and that people may experience longer waits for treatment.’ People were urged to only attend the emergency department in a genuine emergency and to consider using other services, such as NHS 111 or their local GP, for less urgent conditions.
The trust said it was ‘working hard’ to resolve the situation and that it would provide regular updates. NHS England has been contacted for comment.
This is a developing story and we will provide updates as we get them..
