A critical incident has been declared by University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM), the trust behind Royal Stoke University Hospital.

UHNM said it has been under "increasing pressure" since the weekend, with Royal Stoke and County Hospital in Stafford experiencing an increase in attendees at the Emergency Department.

A spokesperson for UHNM said: "During this time the emergency departments will continue to see the sickest patients first, which means, for some patients, there may be much longer delays than usual.

The hospital has been under increasing pressure, with more people attending the Emergency Department (SWNS).

"We ask the public to help us by only using A&E in a serious or life-threatening emergency. It remains vital that people who need care come forward and get it in the usual way – using 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and 111 for everything else.

"When we're discharging patients, we ask that their friends or loved ones pick them up from hospital as soon as possible and have everything they need at home."

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