'Critical incident' at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

A "critical incident" has been declared at a hospital due to a high number of coronavirus patients and staff absences.

About 10% of staff are currently off work at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, the medical director said.

Prof Adrian Harris told the BBC the "huge pressure" on the hospital was "fundamentally" due to the coronavirus.

He has urged people to only go to the hospital "when they really, really need to".

The hospital has been placed on the highest level of alert.

Prof Harris said there were "over 900 staff away at the moment" and the hospital was running an absence rate of "more than double" what would normally be expected at this time of year.

A number of wards have been closed and "we are very, very short of staff," he added.

The medical director said the strain had been caused by the "large number" of Covid patients that the hospital would not normally be caring for at this time of year and the "effect that Covid and winter illnesses are having on our staff".

"Our fundamental problem is any normal winter we would be in a better position, but we have Covid in our community at the moment," he said.

"And of course doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers aren't immune from it and of course they need to self-isolate if they come into contact with it."

Prof Harris said people should go to hospital for an emergency or for appointments, but "if you feel that you could get away without coming to the hospital please think of alternatives".

The director emphasised that all patients would be cared for in the same way during this period and said vaccinations would provide "light" at the end of the tunnel.