THE Great Western Hospital has warned people not to visit A&E unless they have a critical or life-threatening condition.

Bosses at the Swindon hospital say the emergency department is currently extremely busy and anyone visiting may face a long wait to be treated.

The waiting time target is four hours.

A spokesperson from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are currently experiencing a high number of patients in the Emergency Department, which means that patients arriving by ambulance or as walk-ins might be waiting longer than usual to be seen.

“We would encourage the public to only come to the Emergency Department if they are in a critical or life-threatening condition. Our Urgent Care Centre is also open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support patients with more minor conditions.

“If you are collecting somebody from hospital today, please ensure you arrive promptly and have everything ready for their discharge. Please also remember that only one person can come into the hospital to collect a patient.”