Emergency ward 'like a war zone'

Sufferers are urged to stay at home and rest

Hospital managers say a bed shortage at a Leicester hospital is causing waits of 12 hours, turning the emergency department into "a war zone".

Leicester Royal Infirmary will remain on red alert while the bed crisis continues, said Kelvin Price, deputy director of operations at the hospital.

"Patients have been waiting 12 hours to find a bed at the hospital and it is taking about seven hours for patients to see a doctor," he said.

"At the moment it is like a war zone, there are patients on trolleys in the corridors and past the X-ray department."

Winter pressures

People are being urged not to visit the emergency department unless it is absolutely necessary.

Mr Price said the delays are due to winter pressures: "It is very busy at this time of year and the cold snap a week ago is a small contributory factor."

The red alert is expected to last at least 24 hours, but there is no way to predict how long it will last.

The hospital is putting on extra ward rounds to identify patients who could be discharged to free up beds.

But he added: "It is not in our interest to send patients to inappropriate accommodation, as they will only move back into the hospital."

It is the second time since April 2002 that the hospital has called a red alert.