Patients face 'exceptionally long waits' to be seen at Wigan Infirmary's A&E unit

Winter is always a busy time for hospitals across the country, but demand has been particularly high recently for the services run by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

On December 20, health chiefs announced there was a “critical incident”, with Wigan Infirmary’s A&E department full and people urged to stay away unless they were in a life or limb-threatening situation.

Routine operations and appointments were cancelled as staff worked to treat the patients they already had and people were urged to help their loved ones return home from hospital when they were medically fit to be discharged, freeing up beds.

While the “critical incident” came to an end a few days later, the borough’s hospitals have continued to be very busy over the festive period and into 2023.

And bosses have today highlighted just how busy the casualty department continues to be.

In a statement on social media, a trust spokesman said: “We are currently experiencing exceptionally long waits in our A&E department and urge you to access it appropriately.

“If it is not a life or limb-threatening emergency please use NHS 111 online to determine the most appropriate place for your health needs – 111.nhs.uk.

“You can also help us by being on hand to collect your loved ones as soon as they’re well enough to return to their normal place of residence.”