NUH said the critical incident was stood down at 1.30pm today after the number of patients waiting to be assessed in A&E had dropped significantly.

Nottingham University Hospitals' chief nurse, Tracy Pilcher, said: ‘We would like to thank our staff for working incredibly hard to care for our patients. It's been a real team effort to help alleviate those pressures as much as they can. We also want to thank our partners for their support.'

The critical incident came after NUH yesterday reported it had seen three of its highest attendances on record in the last two weeks, with 2,000 more attendances in September than last year.

A spokesman for NUH said: ‘Although pressures have eased, our hospitals remain busy. While numbers are lower, patients are still experiencing long waits in ED.   

‘Our focus will remain on maintaining patient safety and improving the experience of our patients and staff.'