Charles Bruce, Acting Chief Executive, said:“Overnight we have received a high volume of patients at A & E both via ambulance and via self presentation.
“Many of the patients we are seeing are frail, elderly and acutely ill, necessitating them being admitted to hospital.
“As always our priority remains patient safety and care and extra medical and nursing support was called in to assist our staff working overnight.
“We have opened up all our internal escalation capacity and continue to work with our partners across the health and social care system to ensure we remain able to proactively manage this spike in demand for our services.
“Clearly, we would never deter anyone from seeking medical treatment if they feel unwell, however, at this busy time we ask that people consider other options for minor ailments and dial NHS 111 for advice before setting out to A&E.
“People can also visit www.nhs.uk/staywell or the Choose Me Not A & E website www.choosemenotaande.co.uk for more information.”
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