Bosses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn have issued an urgent appeal for people to seek medical advice before going to A&E following a surge in admissions.
Chief operating officer Karen Croker’s call comes following a spike in admissions of “seriously ill patients requiring acute medical treatment” this week.
She said: “We are appealing to the people of West Norfolk to support our staff in the Accident and Emergency Department.
“In recent days, the hospital has seen a significant numbers of very frail and seriously ill patients requiring acute medical treatment.
“We are working closely with our partners in the health and social care system to ensure we proactively manage this spike in demand for our services.
“Patient safety remains our top priority and our staff are working tirelessly to ensure the smooth operation of the hospital.
“While we would never deter anyone from seeking medical treatment, we would ask the public to help our staff during this busy period by first contacting NHS 111 for advice before setting out for A&E.
“We also ask that people who have experienced diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 48 hours refrain from visiting the hospital unless it is a medical emergency to help prevent Norovirus entering the hospital.”
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