Bosses at the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven and Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary are urging people to stay away from A&E unless their conditions are life-threatening.
The North Cumbria integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospitals, said its staff were busy dealing with very sick people in the departments today.
It said: “If you need medical help but your condition is not life-threatening, please use a different service. We really need your help to cope.
“Thank you for your support and for being kind to our staff if you do attend any of our services.”
The departments can deal with emergencies, but if it isn’t, people are asked to try:
- NHS 111 online (includes a mental health crisis service)
- GP appointment
- Pharmacies
- Self-care
At 10.30am today, Sunday January 5, there are 39 patients at the Cumberland Infirmary’s A&E department, with eight arriving in the last hour. The average wait time after initial assessment is three hours to three-and-a-half hours.
At the West Cumberland Hospital, there are 20 patients in A&E. Five people have arrived in the last hour and the average wait time is two-and-a-half hours to three hours.
