Hospitals In South West On 'Black Alert'

Patients in South West England and Wales are being told to only come to A&E in an emergency - with hospitals warning they are under extreme pressure. Hospitals across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are on a "black escalation" alert meaning there are not enough beds to cope with demand so some operations have been cancelled and extra staff have been called in. The problem has been blamed on increasing demand for services over the festive period with a high number of serious