East Surrey Hospital in Redhill has declared a critical incident after a sustained rise in emergency demand, worsened by high temperatures. Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, which operates the hospital, said the decision was necessary to maintain safe and effective care for patients with the most pressing clinical needs.

When a hospital service experiences enough strain to jeopardise its capacity to deliver safe treatment, it is officially declared a critical occurrence. It gives trusts a recognised mechanism to trigger internal operational responses, including the reallocation of resources and the deferral of lower-priority activity.

The trust has begun rescheduling non-urgent appointments to create capacity for patients requiring immediate attention. Cancer treatment and other high-priority operations will proceed as planned. Patients with existing appointments are asked to attend unless they receive direct communication from the trust asking them not to.

Dr Ed Cetti, chief medical officer at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, called on members of the public to attend East Surrey Hospital only if facing a life-threatening emergency. He said teams were working hard to reduce disruption and that essential services had remained fully operational throughout. "In response to the high levels of demand at East Surrey Hospital, alongside the need to act swiftly to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care, we have declared a critical incident," he said. "Our teams are working exceptionally hard to minimise disruption and we would like to reassure our patients and the public that despite the current challenges, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them, so if you require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward."

For those with conditions that are not urgent, the trust is directing people to a range of alternatives. Pharmacies, GP practices and walk-in centres are available for routine concerns, while NHS 111, accessible online and by telephone around the clock, can provide advice and triage. The NHS App offers a further route for those seeking guidance without attending a hospital site.

The trust has also made a direct appeal to the families of patients who are clinically ready to be discharged. Delays in discharge are a persistent source of pressure on hospital capacity, and the trust said it would be grateful for the support of relatives and carers in facilitating timely departures. When patients who no longer require acute care remain in hospital beds, it reduces the number available for those being admitted through emergency departments.

Hot weather has long been associated with increased pressure on NHS services. Conditions such as heat exhaustion, dehydration and the exacerbation of existing cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses tend to rise during periods of sustained high temperature, placing additional strain on emergency departments that are already operating under pressure. Older patients and those with complex needs are particularly vulnerable, and their presentation in greater numbers can rapidly affect the ability of a hospital to manage its overall workload.

East Surrey Hospital serves a significant population across Surrey and parts of West Sussex. The declaration of a critical incident is not uncommon during periods of peak demand, but it carries operational weight and typically requires trust leadership to monitor the situation closely and report to NHS regional teams.

The trust has not specified when it expects to lift the critical incident status, which will depend on whether demand eases and whether the measures taken to free up capacity prove sufficient. Before visiting the emergency room, the public is being encouraged to think about which environment might be best for their treatment.