- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has declared a critical incident after beds at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford reached full capacity.
- The trust cited ongoing and exceptional demand for services, warning that emergency department visitors face extremely long waits unless presenting with life-threatening conditions.
- Patients requiring non-urgent medical assistance are being advised to contact NHS 111, their GP, a pharmacy, or an urgent treatment centre.
- Declaring a critical incident enables the trust to access extra support across the health system to manage urgent admissions and safely discharge patients.
- Scheduled procedures and appointments are currently under review, though patients should assume they are going ahead unless told otherwise.
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