Wigan Infirmary’s A&E department has been “very busy” this week and some patients may face “longer waits” to be seen, a hospital boss has said.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has made several appeals on social media this week for people to only seek help at the casualty unit if their condition is limb or life-threatening.

The winter months are traditionally busier for the NHS and the hospital is now seeing “high demand” for its services.

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Chief operating officer Sarah Brennan said: “Winter is a busy time for the NHS and we prepare for this.

"This week, we’ve experienced high demand on our hospital services, and in particular our emergency department at the Royal Albert

Edward Infirmary has been very busy.

“Our emergency department staff are working hard to ensure that people get treated as quickly as possible and will continuously prioritise patients with the highest clinical needs. This does unfortunately mean that patients with less urgent conditions will experience longer waits and

we apologise for this.

“The public can help us by remembering that emergency departments should only be used for life, limb and sight-threatening illnesses and injuries. If you need help in these situations, you must come forward. For conditions which are less urgent, please use NHS 111 online or by phone, or consider visiting a local pharmacy, walk-in centre or GP practice for support.

“To further help us during this time, we urge families and friends of patients who are ready to be discharged from our hospitals to support their loved ones to recover at home. Our teams will always make sure this transition is safe and recovery at home is always the best option.

“As always, we do thank our staff, patients and our local community for their support and understanding during these busy times.”

Other sources of healthcare include NHS 111, GP surgeries, pharmacies and Leigh Urgent Treatment Centre.

The Greater Manchester Urgent Dental Care Service is available from 8am to 10pm every day for severe dental pain and infection by calling 0333 332 3800, while places to get free urgent eyecare can be found via the NHS Greater Manchester Community Urgent Eye Care Service.

For free, urgent mental health support, call the 24/7 helpline on 0800 953 0285.