Two major NHS hospital trusts in Nottinghamshire have declared critical incidents, signalling they are unable to deliver comprehensive care due to overwhelming and sustained pressure on services.
Severe Pressure Leads to Critical Status
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust both took the step this week. NUH cited a combination of rising demand, winter infections, and staff sickness since the Christmas period as the cause for "significant and unacceptable delays" in its emergency department and wards.
The trust has issued a public plea, urging people to only attend its A&E departments "in an emergency or serious accident". Sherwood Forest Hospitals stated it is grappling with similar "sustained pressure" across its sites, compounded by an "insufficient" rate of patient discharges to free up beds for new admissions.
National Picture of Strain
This development in the Midlands follows a similar crisis in the South East. On Monday 13 January 2026, four hospital trusts in Surrey and Kent also declared critical incidents after a sudden surge in complex A&E cases.
The situation has created a nationwide snapshot of a health service under extreme duress, with other critical incidents reported in recent days in Birmingham, Staffordshire, and two areas of Wales.
Inside the Overwhelmed Hospitals
Andrew Hall, Chief Operating Officer at NUH, expressed profound concern. "The demand on our hospitals far exceeds our capacity," he said. "Declaring a critical incident is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect patient safety." He apologised for the poor experience faced by patients and asked for kindness towards staff.
The scale of the challenge is starkly illustrated at the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham. Its emergency department, designed for 350 patients daily, is now regularly seeing over 500—a 43% increase. The busiest day so far was 7 January 2026, when 550 people were treated.
Demand for beds has surpassed all forecasts, leading to patients waiting for long periods in corridors while clinical teams work under intense strain. Dr Manjeet Shehmar, Medical Director at NUH, warned that only the sickest patients are being seen first, meaning others face "extremely long waits" and may be redirected to alternative services.
Emergency Measures Implemented
In response, the trusts are enacting emergency measures to manage the crisis. These include:
- Postponing some non-urgent, elective procedures.
- Opening every available bed across hospital sites.
- Redeploying staff to areas of greatest need.
- Suspending all non-essential activities.
- Working with local NHS and care partners to accelerate safe patient discharges.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals also apologised, acknowledging that patient experience is falling short of desired standards despite staff's best efforts. The trust reiterated the call for the public to treat its teams with respect and kindness.
NUH operates Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre. Sherwood Forest Hospitals runs King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield and Newark Hospital.
