QA Hospital uses extra beds to deal with '˜black alert'

The Cosham hospital saw '˜record' numbers through its emergency department on Sunday as temperatures continue to rise.

It spent Monday on '˜black alert' meaning pressure on the local system leaves it unable to deliver comprehensive care. The level has since been de-esculated to red.

A spokeswoman said: '˜While there remains significant demand for our urgent care services, our staff are working extremely hard to ensure patients are seen and treated as quickly as possible.

'˜We are working closely with our partners in primary care, community providers and social care to ensure all preventative measures are taken.

'˜We are monitoring our staffing levels on a daily basis to ensure we can continue to care for our patients safely and take action as required.

'˜Since the weekend we have used a small number of escalation beds in order to maintain the flow of patients through the hospital.'