LONDON

Patients in England are being advised to seek alternative services as growing pressure from flu and other respiratory illness cases forces many hospitals to declare a "critical incident."

Royal Liverpool University Hospital and University Hospitals Birmingham have become the latest NHS trusts to declare critical incidents due to "exceptionally high demand" for emergency department services.

Oliver Zuzan, medical director at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, warned in a statement on Tuesday that, while doctors are working hard to treat people as quickly as possible, some will have to wait longer while the sickest patients are treated.

"If it is not a medical emergency please consider using other services, such as your GP, local pharmacy, or walk-in centre," added Zuzan.

Patients see a warning on the University Hospitals Birmingham website stating that the hospital's emergency department is “very busy at the moment."

Earlier, the North Bristol NHS Trust reported a significant increase in flu and respiratory illness over the last few weeks, particularly since the beginning of January.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust both declared critical incidents with similar warnings over the increasing pressure on emergency services.

It came after NHS England said last week that hospital patients with flu had quadrupled to over 5,000 ahead of the New Year.

According to a statement, there were 4,102 flu patients in the hospital on Christmas Day, with the number rising sharply by nearly a quarter to 5,074 by Dec. 29.

"The tidal wave of flu this winter has seen more than three times as many patients in (the) hospital compared with last year, putting huge pressures on the NHS," said Health Secretary Wes Streeting.​​​​​​​