Patients facing two-day waits in A&E

Patients at Royal Liverpool University Hospital's accident and emergency unit have been facing waits of up to 50 hours.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has declared a "critical incident" due to "exceptionally high demand" on services and urged people to only go to A&E in a genuine medical emergency.

The hospital said it was "extremely busy" amid a rising number of patients with flu and other respiratory conditions, prompting Liverpool Riverside Labour MP Kim Johnson to call on the government to immediately come up with a plan to increase NHS funding.

Critical incidents have also been declared in the East Midlands, Birmingham, Devon, Cornwall, Northamptonshire and Hampshire.

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Source: BBC online, 7 January 2025