Nottingham NHS trust declares critical incident amid record A&E attendances

Patients face 'unacceptable waits' as 100 left waiting for treatment

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has declared a critical incident after recording three of its highest emergency department attendance figures in history over the past fortnight, with more than 100 patients waiting for treatment and staff working under 'extreme pressure'.

The trust, which runs Nottingham City Hospital and the Queen's Medical Centre, said A&E visits in September 2026 were 2,000 higher than the same month last year. The critical incident was announced on Tuesday while more than 200 patients who are medically safe to leave remain in hospital beds, equivalent to nearly eight wards.

NUH noted that resources were being redirected due to a particularly high volume of cardiology patients requiring 'intensive levels of care over prolonged periods of time'. The trust said patients are facing 'unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors'.

Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, said: 'We are seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department, where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen and have seen the highest attendances on record. Not just once, but three times in two weeks.'

Ms Pilcher apologised for the waits and care provided in corridors, which she said is 'not the way our staff want to work or our patients want to be seen'. She said the trust is doing all it can and urged anyone with a family member who is ready to go home to collect them as soon as possible.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Patients face long, uncomfortable waits in corridors, affecting their safety and dignity
The critical incident declaration signals that hospital capacity has been overwhelmed, potentially leading to postponed procedures and wider pressures on the local health system
The backlog of patients who are medically fit to leave but remain in hospital beds highlights discharge and social care bottlenecks

Background

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute hospital trusts in England, managing two major hospitals. A critical incident is declared when a trust cannot deliver critical services or there is a significant risk to patient safety. Such declarations are used to trigger additional support and escalate the situation to regional health authorities. The trust has faced rising demand in its emergency department, with September 2026 seeing a notable jump in attendances compared with the previous year.

Key Perspectives

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust: The trust says staff are working under 'extreme pressure' and doing everything they can to mitigate the situation, focusing on safely discharging patients and reducing waits. It expressed regret for the conditions patients are experiencing. Patients and families: Those waiting for treatment face long delays, sometimes on corridor trolleys. The trust has asked families to collect relatives who are ready to go home, indicating that discharge delays are contributing to the crisis. Health system observers: The situation at NUH may reflect wider pressures on NHS emergency care entering the autumn and winter months, with high demand and limited capacity in hospitals and community services.

What to Watch

Whether the trust is able to reduce the number of patients waiting and free up beds through faster discharges
If other NHS trusts follow suit with critical incident declarations as winter approaches
Actions by local health and social care services to improve patient flow out of hospitals

Sources

Critical incident declared by NHS trust with hospitals under ‘extreme pressure’ · The Independent UK

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedNUH declared a critical incident.The Independent UK: “An NHS trust has declared a critical incident following record patient attendances at emergency departments”
SupportedNUH’s A&E attendances were record-high.The Independent UK: “An NHS trust has declared a critical incident following record patient attendances at emergency departments”
Partly supportedPatients face “unacceptable waits”.The Independent UK: “patients are facing ‘unacceptable and lengthy waits on corridors’”
Supported100 people were left waiting for treatment.The Independent UK: “where 100 people were left waiting for treatment.”
Partly supportedMore than 100 patients were waiting for treatment.The Independent UK: “where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen”
SupportedNUH recorded three of its highest emergency department attendance figures in history over the past fortnight.The Independent UK: “it had recorded three of its highest attendance figures in history over the last fortnight.”
SupportedStaff were working under “extreme pressure”.The Independent UK: “NUH stated that its personnel are working under “extreme pressure””
Partly supportedThe trust said A&E visits in September 2026 were 2,000 higher than in September 2025.The Independent UK: “A&E visits increased by 2,000 in September this year compared to September 2025.”
SupportedThe critical incident was announced on Tuesday.The Independent UK: “The critical incident was announced on Tuesday”
SupportedMore than 200 patients medically safe to leave remained in hospital beds, equivalent to nearly eight wards.The Independent UK: “more than 200 patients who are medically safe to leave remain in hospital beds, equivalent to nearly eight wards.”
SupportedResources were redirected because of a particularly high volume of cardiology patients requiring intensive care over prolonged periods.The Independent UK: “resources were being redirected due to a particularly high volume of cardiology patients who “require intensive levels of care over prolonged periods of time”.”
SupportedTracy Pilcher said, “We are seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department, where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen and have seen the highest attendances on record. Not just once, but three times in two weeks.”The Independent UK: ““We are seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department, where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen and have seen the highest attendances on record. “Not just once, but three times in two weeks.”