The trust said it was seeing a high number of people attending A&E, along with a lack of available beds in inpatient wards.

Dr Mark Roland, chief medical officer at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We are currently experiencing extremely high numbers of people coming to our emergency department for urgent and emergency care, placing significant pressure on our services.

‘Declaring a critical incident allows us to take additional steps to help maintain safe care for our patients and manage these pressures.

‘Our staff are working incredibly hard in challenging circumstances. All essential services remain open, and anyone who needs emergency care should continue to come forward.'

Visitors are being asked not to attend if they have symptoms of viral respiratory illness (including Covid or flu) or gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea or vomiting.