Walsall NHS trust declares critical incident
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust declared a critical incident over the holiday period due to the number of people needing urgent and emergency hospital care. The trust’s chief operating officer said it was seeing increased numbers of people with predominantly respiratory conditions requiring hospital treatment.

“Local people should still come to our emergency departments if they have serious, life-threatening conditions that need immediate medical attention, such as chest pain, loss of consciousness, acute confusion, severe blood loss, serious burns, broken bones, suspected stroke – visitors should not come into hospital if they have symptoms of flu, norovirus, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”
Will Roberts, Walsall Manor chief operating officer also urged residents to take advantage of flu, Covid-19 and RSV jabs.
The NHS has created a Christmas & New Year vaccination campaign to promote the importance of getting vaccinated against viruses such as COVID-19 and flu this winter.
Local GP, Dr Mohit Mandiratta features in the video and said: “As part of our efforts to increase the uptake of winter vaccinations across the Black Country, we have created a Black Country Christmas vaccination campaign to promote the importance of getting vaccinated and getting winter strong.
“You can’t avoid the exchanging of unwanted gifts this Christmas, especially as we gather indoors over the festive season. However, getting your winter vaccines offers you and your loved one’s protection from the unwanted exchange of COVID-19 and flu.
“I would encourage anyone eligible to schedule their vaccinations as soon as possible to help keep themselves and their families safe, and ease pressure on the NHS and start the new year in a healthy way.”
Those eligible for a COVID-19 and flu vaccine include:
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- people who live in a care home for older adults
- people aged 6 months to 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
- frontline health and social care staff, including in care homes for older adults
- pregnant women.
Eligible people can still have COVID-19 vaccinations at local pop-up clinics on a walk-in basis.
Flu vaccines remain available, and people can continue to book appointments via the NHS, or at their GP practice.
Community pop-up clinics are being hosted at a range of locations in the Black Country, with flu and COVID-19 vaccines available for eligible adults on a walk-in basis, with no appointment necessary.