Coventry hospital has been under huge amounts of pressure

A critical incident at University Hospital Coventry’s emergency A&E department has been stood down(Image: PA)

A critical incident at a trust which runs Coventry hospital has been stood down.

Bosses at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire have said that ‘pressures have eased’ at the emergency department at the Walsgrave-based site.

But services remain busy and people are being urged to choose the right service for their condition.

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The critical incident was declared on Thursday evening after demand led to ‘significant and unacceptable delays’.

Tracey Brigstock, Chief Nursing Officer, said at the time: “We are experiencing exceptional pressure across our services, particularly in our Emergency Department. Despite our teams working tirelessly, demand is exceeding our capacity.

“Declaring a Critical Incident is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect patient safety.”

But this afternoon (Saturday, January 24), the critical incident has been stood down. Bosses at the hospital have praised ‘outstanding’ staff for their hard work.

In a statement, a spokesman for the hospital said: “Following significant work across our services, we have now stood down the Critical Incident declared on Thursday 22nd January.

“Although pressures have eased, our services remain very busy. We are continuing to see high demand in our Emergency Department and across our wards.

“You can continue to help by only using the Emergency Department for life-threatening emergencies. For other health concerns, please use NHS 111 online or over the phone so you can access the most appropriate service for your needs.

“We apologise to those who have been impacted by these pressures and want to thank our communities for their support.

“We also want to thank our colleagues, whose response to this Critical Incident has been outstanding.”

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