The "critical incident" declared at Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital earlier this week has been stood down.

University of North Midlands Trust (UHNM) declared a critical incident on Tuesday (15 September) due to "exceptional pressure" on services across the hospitals.

UHNM has now stood down from "Critical Incident" status.

A spokesperson for UHNM said: "Pressure on our services has reduced and our emergency care services are no longer experiencing the level of disruption that led to the declaration.

"We would like to thank our staff and partners for their dedication and hard work throughout this period."

The trust urged members of the public to continue to support the NHS by choosing "the right service for their needs".

People are encouraged to only attend A&E for serious injuries or life-threatening emergencies.

For urgent health advice, UHNM encouraged member of the public to visit NHS 111 online or call 111 to be directed to the most appropriate service.

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