In an update yesterday, NUH, which runs the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, said 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.

Tracy Pilcher, chief nurse at NUH, said: ‘We are seeing significant pressures across our hospitals and in particular in our A&E department, where we have more than 100 patients waiting to be seen and have seen the highest attendances on record.'

Pilcher said 200 patients were ready for discharge and urged relatives to collect them as soon as possible. Over 247 patients were discharged yesterday.

The trust has seen particularly high numbers of cardiology patients requiring intensive levels of care over prolonged periods of time, diverting resource from other areas.

It said it was creating more capacity for patients who need care in order to support flow through the hospital, with staff being asked to take additional shifts.

NUH said it was working closely with system partners to identify any opportunities to improve patient flow and identify further opportunities for discharge.