NHS Hospitals Overwhelmed as Critical Incidents Spread Across England
Good evening and we start tonight with mounting pressure on the UK’s health system, as more NHS hospitals declare critical incidents, a move that signals the system is under extreme strain.
In Nottinghamshire, two major hospital trusts have now raised that highest level of alert. Nottingham University Hospitals and Sherwood Forest Hospitals say their services are facing severe and sustained pressure, driven by a sharp rise in patients, winter illnesses and staff sickness. This is not a routine warning. A critical incident is declared only when patient safety is at risk and normal care cannot be delivered safely.
At Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, the scale of the challenge is stark. An emergency department built to handle around 350 patients a day is now seeing more than 500. On one day alone this month, that number climbed to 550. Beds are full, corridors are crowded and patients are facing long waits, sometimes in spaces never meant for treatment. Staff are continuing to work, but under extraordinary pressure.
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Hospital leaders say winter infections like flu and norovirus are a major factor, but the problem goes deeper. Patients who are medically fit to leave hospital are often unable to be discharged quickly, usually because community or social care support is not immediately available. That creates a bottleneck, leaving no space for new patients arriving through A&E.
And this is not just a local issue. Similar critical incidents have been declared across parts of southeast England, including Surrey and Kent, as well as in Birmingham, Staffordshire and areas of Wales. The pattern is clear. Demand is rising faster than capacity and hospitals are struggling to keep up.
In response, trusts are taking emergency measures. Some non-urgent procedures are being postponed. All available beds are being opened. Staff are being redeployed and non-essential activity is being paused. Hospitals are also urging the public to think carefully before attending A&E and to use services like NHS 111, urgent treatment centres, or pharmacies when conditions are not life-threatening.
For patients, the impact is real and immediate. Waiting times are longer. Planned care may be delayed. For staff, the pressure is relentless, with hospital leaders asking the public for patience and kindness during what they describe as an incredibly difficult period.
The bigger question now is how long this situation can continue. With winter far from over and healthcare demand continuing to rise, these critical incidents are a warning sign of a system stretched close to its limits.
We will continue to follow this closely. For now, hospitals say emergency care remains open for those who truly need it, but the message is clear. The NHS is under intense strain and the coming weeks will be crucial.
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