Morriston Hospital: Highest alert issued over extreme pressures

More than 80 people are waiting for beds at a hospital which has declared the highest alert level.

Morriston Hospital in Swansea said it was under "extreme pressure" in its emergency and unscheduled care services.

The hospital said the number of "acutely unwell" emergency patients waiting for beds was "extremely high".

People have been urged to avoid going to the A&E department unless they are seriously ill or badly injured.

Swansea Bay health board said a business continuity incident - the highest level of alert - had been declared.

The health board said "everything possible" was being done to discharge patients who were well enough to go home.

"We are expecting the hospital to be extremely busy in the forthcoming days due to the seasonal drop in temperature which can trigger more illnesses," it added.

The term black alert is sometimes colloquially used to describe this highest escalation, but it is not an official term used by health boards.

Each of Wales' health boards has five levels of escalation which determine the pressure on its services.

Business continuity is the highest level of alert a health board can declare when coping with seasonal pressures.

However, there are exceptional circumstances in which hospitals could declare major or critical incidents.

Earlier in November, the highest alert level was declared at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff due to "significant" pressures.