Hospital chiefs at one of Britain’s largest NHS trusts are urging families and carers to leave work early to collect patients as part of efforts to discharge 200 people by the end of Friday amid a critical incident declaration.
Nottingham University Hospitals has asked relatives to prioritize getting patients home even if this means abandoning their shifts, as the trust struggles with “unacceptable and lengthy waits” in corridors following a surge in demand.
The plea comes as NUH confirmed patients who could safely return home are staying in hospital longer than medically necessary, creating a backlog that has overwhelmed capacity across its sites including Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham City Hospital and Ropewalk House.
Andrew Hall, chief operating officer at NUH, stated: “We have been working tirelessly all week to mitigate the pressures we are currently seeing, but this has not had the desired impact, and so declaring a critical incident is necessary to protect patient safety.”
The trust has reported a significant increase in patients with respiratory issues, which has caused pressure on accident and emergency capacity. More than half of adult beds are currently occupied by patients over 80, a demographic whose health complications impact them more severely than younger patients.
Staff have been asked to work additional shifts whilst the hospitals create more bed space to support patient flow through the facilities. Hall warned personnel are working under extreme pressure and urged the public to “consider carefully whether or not you need to attend A&E.”
The declaration marks the second time in two months that NUH has been forced to announce a critical incident, with the trust previously implementing emergency measures in January due to rising demand, winter infections and staff sickness.
Hall apologized to patients who had experienced long waiting times at the hospitals. The trust stated it had witnessed “significant demand” on services over the past week, particularly in A&E departments.
NUH employs more than 19,000 staff, making it the largest employer in Nottinghamshire and one of the biggest NHS trusts in the country. The scale of operations means critical incidents affect thousands of patients across multiple major hospital sites.
The trust continues implementing measures to increase capacity and discharge rates as it works to resolve the critical incident. Families and carers able to collect patients are being prioritized in discharge planning, with hospital bosses emphasizing the importance of swift action to free up beds for incoming emergency cases.
The respiratory illness surge has compounded existing winter pressures on the NHS, with elderly patients requiring longer hospital stays and more intensive care than typical demographics. The trust has not specified when it expects to lift the critical incident status.
