Health bosses have triggered the highest level alert at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary to tackle increased pressure on the hospital.
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust said it had escalated the hospital to Opel 4 to allow it to take additional steps to maintain safe services for patients and help it cope with the significant and growing demand it was facing.
Opel 4 is declared when a hospital is unable to deliver comprehensive care and patient safety is at risk.
Furness General Hospital in Barrow is operating normally, but trust bosses said the high demand at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary had prompted them to make the decision.
It said its teams were:
Using all alternative options to the emergency department, including Same Day Emergency Care, Surgical Emergency Ambulatory Care, the Gynaecology Assessment Unit, and the Priority Admission Discharge Unit
Community colleagues focusing on admission avoidance activities and espediting discharges where possible
Cancellation of non-essential meetings/activities in order to redirect clinician time to patient-facing activities
Seeking support from local place-based partners, the Integrated Care Board system partners which includes Primary Care, FCMS, local authorities and the North West Ambulance Service.
If people are not contacted directly, they are asked to attend appointments or call if they cannot attend.
