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Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) has been forced to declare a ‘critical incident’ due to “exceptional demand” on its services.

This follows the Welsh Ambulance Service’s critical incident alert on December 30, where it reported 340 calls across Wales were waiting to be answered.

In a post on Monday January 13, the health board urged the public to only go to hospital if their condition is life-threatening or they have a very serious injury.

An ABUHB spokesperson added: “We have taken this decision as our services are currently experiencing exceptional demand due to a combination of increased emergency attendances of very sick patients, high levels of winter virus infections on our wards, and an increase in the number of patients who are delayed in hospital awaiting discharge.

“If you need medical help, please think carefully about the services you choose. Choosing the right place to receive advice and care will help us ensure that our hospitals are not overwhelmed and enable us to provide timely treatment for patients most in need.”

The health board has told people to first consider visiting your local pharmacy, GP, or calling 111 for advice.

You can also call 111 if you need to access urgent primary care when your own GP surgery is closed.