Critical incident declared at hospital

Hospital bosses have declared a 'critical incident' at the under-pressure Royal Stoke. It comes as the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust - which oversees both Royal Stoke and Stafford's County Hospital - says it is currently experiencing 'exceptional pressure' on services.

It represents the third declared this year with others coming in January and June.

A spokesperson said this was due to exceptional pressures following a combination of factors, including high numbers of patients requiring care, delays in discharging patients from hospital, and significant pressure on local ambulance services impacting their ability to move patients through our hospitals safely and as quickly as we would like.