An NHS trust has declared a critical incident and warned patients to only attend A&E if it is "vital" due to significant demand for patients amid an ongoing junior doctor's strike.
NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board said their hospitals are seeing a high number of patients arriving at their emergency department.
It added that staff are doing "everything in their power to care for patients".
However, the high number of those needing care and the reduction in staffing levels mean there are "very long waits" in A&E and for admission to wards.
NHS junior doctors on the picket line outside Leicester Royal Infirmary
PA
Medical director Dave Briggs said: "Please only attend the emergency department if it is vital, this means a life-threatening illness or injury that cannot be treated elsewhere.
"This allows us to treat those who need us the most.
"There are things everyone can do to help, and we are asking people to use our services wisely and to think about self-care as an option for some conditions, such as coughs and colds, before automatically going to the NHS for help.
"If self-care isn’t an option, then choosing the right service will help patients to get the right treatment first time and usually more quickly – 111 online is a great resource to help with that.
"One way the public can help us is by supporting our NHS teams to get your relatives home from hospital if they are medically fit to leave."
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Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham
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Briggs added: "We are grateful to everyone who has taken steps to help, and we would like to thank our incredible teams across the health and social care sector for their efforts in keeping the public safe."
Earlier today, Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth hospital has declared a critical incident due to "extreme pressures on services".
It comes as industrial action is being held by members of the British Medical Association (BMA).
The walkout started at 7am on Wednesday and it could be the longest stoppage in the history of the NHS.
Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth
PA
Co-chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee Dr Vivek Trivedi told the PA news agency: "I hope they [the Government] come back to the table now, but from all of the signals they are sending it won’t be until our strike action finishes.
"And I hope at that point we can come to a resolution."
Meanwhile, national medical director for the NHS in England Professor Sir Stephen Powis warned the strike coincided with one of the busiest and most challenging weeks of the year.
The NHS Confederation, which represents NHS Trusts, has called on both sides to restart negotiations.
