Critical incident at NHS trust ends but patients still face 'long waits'

A critical incident at a NHS Trust has ended after the number of people waiting for assessment in A&E "dropped significantly" - but hospital bosses warned patients still face "long waits".

The Nottingham University Hospitals trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, declared a critical incident on Tuesday, after its A&E department saw some of its highest ever attendances.

On Wednesday, the critical incident was declared over but the trust warned of further problems ahead.

The trust said: "Although pressures have eased, our hospitals remain busy. While numbers are lower, patients are still experiencing long waits in emergency departments."  

Tracy Pilcher, who is chief nurse at Nottingham University Hospitals, said: "We would like to thank our staff for working incredibly hard to care for our patients.

"It's been a real team effort to help alleviate those pressures as much as they can."

When declaring the critical incident, the trust said patients were facing "unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors" while staff were working under "extreme pressure".

In the last two weeks, it has seen the highest attendances on record on three occasions.

There have been 2,000 more A&E visits in September this year compared to the same month in 2025, the trust added.

On Tuesday, NUH said: "There have been particularly high numbers of cardiology patients who require intensive levels of care over prolonged periods of time, diverting resource from other areas.

"We currently have more than 200 patients in our A&E, with more than 100 waiting to be seen.

"This is an unacceptable level and increases the risk of harm."

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The trust has asked patients and relatives to consider a range of options to help support the hospitals.

These include seeking alternative support, such as at pharmacies, when the situation is not life-threatening.

It also urged people with "any flu or other respiratory illness symptoms" to not visit the hospital.

(c) Sky News 2026: Critical incident at NHS trust ends but patients still face 'long waits'