Warning as County Hospital A&E 'closed to ambulances' amid 12-HOUR wait
Health bosses have urged people only to attend A&E in emergency situations after Stafford's County hospital was temporarily unable to take in people from ambulances as patients had to wait up to 12 hours to be seen.
Royal Stoke Hospital and Stafford's County Hospital faced serious pressures over the weekend.
Chiefs urged people to avoid the A&E unit at Royal Stoke unless necessary.
Consultant Richard Fawcett said he turned up for work today to find a 12-hour wait to be seen in A&E and 'over 25 patients on the corridor'.
Later in the day he said: "We have now run out of corridor space in A&E @UHNM_NHS, County A&E has just closed to ambulances, we are now holding [ambulances] – we are trying our best."
A UHNM statement on Twitter said: "The NHS is appealing for support from the local community to reduce the pressures on hospital services at both Royal Stoke and County Hospital through responsible use of A&E as we run into the very busy New Year period.
"The Accident and Emergency department and 999 ambulance service should only be used in a serious or life-threatening condition."