A critical incident has been declared by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust due to « significant pressures » on services.
Accident and Emergency has seen an increase in patients, particularly those with respiratory issues, said officials at the trust, which runs the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital.
They added on top of this there was a high number of patients who were safe to be discharged but the hospital was unable to do so.
As well as advising people to only come to A&E if absolutely necessary, the trust has asked families and carers to prioritise getting their loved ones home when they are contacted.
A trust spokesperson said: « In the last week, we have seen significant demand on our services, in A&E in particular, which is resulting in lengthy waits for patients.
« This follows a previous critical incident in January, where rising demand, winter infections and staff sickness all led to unacceptable delays.
« More than half of our adult beds are currently occupied by patients who are over 80 years old, whose health issues can impact them more than younger patients.
« Getting patients home as soon as they are well enough to is vital and we would like families and carers to please prioritise getting their loved ones home when they are contacted. »
The trust said it hoped to get more than 200 patients home today but emphasised the public could play their part by using services responsibly.
Those with appointments have been told to attend unless told otherwise.
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