A hospital in a coronavirus hotspot has reported one of the busiest ever days for its emergency department.
Patients were urged only to attend A&E at the Royal Bolton Hospital if it was absolutely necessary as hospital bosses reported more people requiring treatment for the effects of Covid-19, as well as patients with a range of problems.
The Greater Manchester borough, one of the areas where the Indian variant has been identified, has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country, with 1,296 new cases in the seven days to May 20.
It is one of the eight areas that have had controversial sudden travel restrictions placed on them.
In a statement on Tuesday, chief operating officer and deputy chief executive of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust Andy Ennis said: "Yesterday was one of the busiest days we have ever had in our emergency department.
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"People are presenting with a range of problems and staff are working very hard to ensure they receive all the care they need as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"However, we are also now seeing more people requiring hospital treatment from the effects of Covid-19, and, whilst we have discharged a number overnight, today we still have 41 inpatients with Covid, including eight in critical care.
"Going into the bank holiday weekend and half-term, which is always a busy time for the NHS, we anticipate this pressure continuing. As such we are taking urgent actions to ensure we can continue to manage this demand effectively.
"We urge the public to continue to take all necessary steps to protect themselves and others, follow the relevant national guidance, and to only attend our emergency department if absolutely necessary."
Patients were advised to call NHS 111 if they were unsure which service was suitable for their needs.
It comes as residents living in areas suddenly slapped with travel restrictions to combat the Indian variant have hit out at their treatment.
An update advising against all but essential travel in and out of eight areas was published online at roughly 5:30pm on Friday.
But no official government announcement was made - leaving many locals in the dark.
This has led to anger and frustration for those in the affected areas, which are spread out across England.
They are: Bedford, Blackburn and Darwen, Bolton, Burnley, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow, and North Tyneside.
All are said to be experiencing surges in cases as fears over the Indian variant continue.
Councillor Andy Morgan, of Bolton Council, revealed that the authority had not received any communication about the change, before calling it "bloody disgraceful".
