QA Hospital in Portsmouth on '˜black alert' due to high demand

A hospital spokesperson for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust urged people with non-serious injuries not to attend the Cosham hospital and to instead go to a minor injuries unit to ease pressure.

In a statement the trust said: ‘There is currently a sustained high demand on our emergency department, with exceptional numbers of very sick, frail and elderly patients needing urgent care.

‘We are working closely with our partners across the health and social care system to address this issue, and our staff are working hard to see our patients in a prompt and timely manner, with patient safety our top priority.

‘We are urging people to choose well in their choice of health care as we continue to experience high demand.’