Royal Liverpool Hospital declared a critical incident on Tuesday 7 January after a rise in patient admissions to wards with the flu and respiratory illnesses. | ITV News Granada

Another Merseyside hospital has declared a critical incident as the crisis in Accident and Emergency continues to grip the region. Today, Whiston Hospital became the latest to make the emergency announcement, joining the Royal Liverpool and Arrowe Park in Wirral who have all made such declarations this week.

Hospitals in Birmingham, Hampshire, Liverpool and Plymouth have declared critical incidents following a surge in patients with respiratory issues

Liverpool Royal Hospital has declared a critical incident amid high flu levels to "support the safe care and treatment of patients" as it works with support organisations

Hospital has brought in emergency measures to deal with 'exceptionally high demand' - this is how it will impact patients and staff

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital has declared a critical incident due to an "exceptionally high" demand on A&E and a high number of flu cases. The hospital said staff are "working incredibly hard" to treat patients being admitted with "flu and respiratory illnesses".

The BBC's Hugh Pym spent two days in A&E at Warwick Hospital where management declared a critical incident, with some staff describing the period as "one of the worst" they'd known. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust said it had experienced "some of the highest" attendances it had ever seen at the emergency department in the past week.

Hospitals in the West are experiencing critical incidents due to high levels of flu and norovirus. Services are "extremely busy" at hospitals in Gloucestershire, Yeovil and Taunton. Long A+E waits have been reported at Salisbury District Hospital where one man claims he was left waiting hours with no pain medication.

A TOP NHS doctor has warned the peak of the flu season is yet to come as hospitals wards across England are “full to bursting”.

Two Somerset hospitals have declared critical incidents due to sharp rises in patients presenting with flu and other respiratory illnesses.

Multiple hospitals across the country have declared critical incidents after emergency departments were swamped by a surge in winter flu cases. As of Tuesday evening, NHS England confirmed at least a dozen hospitals had declared the health system’s highest alert level as the rise in respiratory cases led to “exceptionally high demands”.