Salisbury District Hospital: Only attend for emergencies and critical illness
They've warned their A&E department is especially busy
There's a plea to only attend Salisbury District Hospital in life-threatening conditions, or for critical illness and injury.
Bosses at the NHS Foundation Trust say the whole hospital is 'extremely busy', especially the Accident and Emergency department.
They're encouraging people to 'consider alternative care' where possible.
GP surgeries, pharmacies and the Salisbury Walk-in Centre at Avon Approach are suggested for minor injuries and illnesses.
The warning comes off the back of a four day strike by junior doctors, including those at Salisbury District Hospital.
Across the country, NHS figures show there were 61,200 rescheduled acute inpatient and outpatient appointments and procedures during the walkout, in a row over pay.
The number of staff absent from work due to strikes peaked on the first day of the strike (Friday 11th August) with 23,682.
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said:
“We will soon hit one million appointments rescheduled if strikes continue, which shows the enormous impact industrial action is having on patients, their families and the NHS.
“It’s difficult to overstate the scale of the disruption, as many services also avoid scheduling appointments for strike days meaning the true figure will be even higher.
“During almost nine months of action, our hard-working staff have done all they can to keep patients safe while tackling a record backlog, but there is no doubt this cumulative impact is posing a huge challenge for the health service.”