Nottingham hospitals declare critical incident amid record A&E demand

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 14:08 · Archive

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has declared a critical incident due to record attendances and extreme pressure on A&E departments.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust declared a critical incident on Tuesday due to record numbers of patients attending its A&E departments. The trust, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, said there were more than 200 patients in A&E with over 100 waiting to be seen, with staff working 'under extreme pressure' and patients experiencing 'unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors'.

In the past two weeks, the trust has seen three of its highest attendances on record. September 2026 saw 2,000 more A&E attendances than September 2025, the trust reported. Nottinghamshire Live noted that the number of cardiology patients requiring intensive care over prolonged periods has been particularly high, diverting resources from other patients.

Andrew Hall, the trust's chief operating officer, said staff had been 'working hard to do everything they can to mitigate the pressures, focusing on getting patients seen and home'. Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse, stated the trust was 'seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department'. A critical incident means demand for services has exceeded capacity, resulting in longer waits and potential changes to how care is delivered.

How it is being reported

• Critical incident declared and increased risk of harm at Nottingham hospitals due to record demandThe trust says that there is sustained pressure on its servicesNottinghamshire Live · 20 Oct, 13:50
• Critical incident declared amid 'extreme pressure'The trust says there are "significant pressures" on hospitals, some of the highest on record.BBC Nottingham · 20 Oct, 13:42

In this story: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust · Queen's Medical Centre · Nottingham City Hospital · Nottingham

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