People are being urged not to attend A&E unless they have a medical emergency as the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Aintree University Hospital deal with 'technical issues'.
IT problems cause unprecedented demand
University Hospitals of Liverpool Group said some of its internal IT systems are affected, causing "unprecedented demand" at both hospitals as a result. The trust said it has activated its business continuity plans to maintain safe patient care.
Some clinical teams have temporarily returned to manual, paper-based processes, which could lead to delays for patients accessing some services. The Emergency Departments at the Royal Liverpool and Aintree remain open.
Trust urges use of alternative services
However, the trust is urging people to avoid attending unless their condition is a medical emergency because of the current pressure on services.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals of Liverpool Group said: "We are currently experiencing technical issues with some of our internal IT systems at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and Aintree University Hospital.
"As a result, we have enacted our business continuity plans to maintain safe patient care and, in some cases, our clinical teams have temporarily reverted to manual, paper-based processes, which may lead to delays for patients accessing some of our services.
"Our Emergency Department remains open, however, we are currently experiencing unprecedented demand, so we urge people not to attend unless your condition is a medical emergency.
"Please consider using other services, such as your GP, local pharmacy or walk-in centre. The NHS 111 service can be used to help identify the most appropriate service for you and help avoid long waits."
No timeline for resolution
The trust has not said how long the IT issues are expected to continue.
