People using Northwick Park accident and emergency department are being asked to attend for serious and life threatening injuries and conditions only.
The plea comes from bosses at the London North West and University Healthcare NHS Trust as the NHS struggles to cope with winter pressures across the whole country.
A statement on the trust’s website says it is experiencing sustained pressure due to the high number of people seeking emergency medical care combined with a much higher number of frail older patients who require social support to be discharged from hospital.
The statement reads: “Our staff are working tirelessly to see everyone in a safe and timely manner and, as always, we will treat our sickest patients first. This means that some people may experience longer waits. We have rescheduled operations for those patients needing to stay overnight in a hospital bed. Urgent, day case and cancer operations are going ahead as planned.
“We will contact patients if we do, regrettably, have to reschedule their operation. If you do not hear from us, please attend your procedure as planned.”
If you are unsure whether you need emergency care please call NHS 111 for advice.
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