Patients are being urged not to visit the emergency department at West Suffolk Hospital unless their symptoms are serious after record attendances.

Staff at the Bury St Edmunds hospital are asking people to use the most appropriate service for their needs to help ease the pressure on the hospital.

A spokesman for West Suffolk Hospital said: "We are currently seeing some of our highest ever attendances at our emergency department.

"We have recently extended the department and opened new beds to help ease congestion.

"Members of the public can help us in this very busy time by using the most appropriate service for their needs such as telephoning NHS 111, visiting their GP or local community pharmacy."

According to the latest government figures, the number of patients seen within four hours of arrival at the Accident and Emergency Departments of hospitals in Suffolk and North Essex has slipped since the start of the pandemic.

This comes after hospital staff spoke out about the exhausting working conditions at the hospital last week.