'Crisis point': Patients urged to stay away from A&E unless life threatening with numbers surge seeing 12 hour waits

Hospital trusts across Yorkshire said current pressures have left them with no choice but to prioritise patients presenting with acute illness or injuries.

The West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), said its most recent figures show a 14.2 per cent increase in A&E admissions compared with the same week last year.

Dr Andrew Lockey, consultant physician in emergency medicine at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s really important that people only come to an Accident and Emergency Department if they really need to.

"Our hospitals are extremely busy, and people are having to wait a long time to be seen.

“Over the past two weeks we’ve faced huge challenges with the sharp uplift in the number of people attending Accident and Emergency.

"This places additional pressure on our teams who are responsible for treating patients with serious and life-threatening conditions.

“If you are unwell and are unsure which healthcare service you need, call NHS 111. A highly-trained clinical advisor will direct you to the most appropriate service.”

It comes after the clinical director of a hospital in Lancashire said patients were forced to wait more than two days for a bed, with staff left “crying with frustration and anger”.

A leaked letter revealed Graham Ellis, the clinical director of Royal Preston hospital, told the hospital trust’s executive team: “For the past few months we have on a regular basis had more than 50 patients waiting for a bed and that wait being in excess of 60 hours."