Critical incident declared by NHS trust with hospitals under ‘extreme pressure’

An NHS trust has declared a critical incident following record patient attendances at emergency departments, where 100 people were left waiting for treatment.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) stated that its personnel are working under "extreme pressure", leaving patients facing "unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors".

The trust, which manages both Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen’s Medical Centre, revealed it had recorded three of its highest attendance figures in history over the last fortnight. A&E visits increased by 2,000 in September this year compared to September 2025.

The critical incident was announced on Tuesday while more than 200 patients who are medically safe to leave remain in hospital beds, equivalent to nearly eight wards.

NUH noted that resources were being redirected due to a particularly high volume of cardiology patients who "require intensive levels of care over prolonged periods of time".

Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, said: “We are seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department, where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen and have seen the highest attendances on record.

“Not just once, but three times in two weeks.

“In the last 24 hours, staff have been working hard to do everything they can to mitigate the pressures, focusing on getting patients seen and home quickly and safely.

“Despite this, we still find ourselves in an incredibly difficult position today and have declared a critical incident to protect our patients and support our staff.”

Ms Pilcher said the trust is “very sorry” for the significant waits and care provided in corridors, which is “not the way our staff want to work or our patients want to be seen”.

She continued: “Please be reassured that we are doing all we can and hope that the actions we are taking will improve the situation as soon as possible.”

Ms Pilcher urged anyone with a family member who is ready to go home to collect them as soon as possible.