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A critical incident has been declared at hospitals across Gwent due to “exceptional demand”.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) made the announcement on Saturday January 10 as a result of “sustained pressure and risk throughout the hospital system over the last week”.

In a statement, the health board said: “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.”

ABUHB urged people to only go to hospital if it is life-threatening, or a very serious injury.

“If you need medical help, please think carefully about the services you choose,” the statement continued. “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 area covered by ABUHB includes Caerphilly County Borough, as well as hospitals such as the Grange in Cwmbran, Newport’s Royal Gwent, and Nevil Hall in Abergavenny, among others.

Early in December, ABUHB reintroduced mask wearing and tightened visiting rules across its hospital sites following “a sharp rise in winter illnesses and infection rates”.

In a statement issued on December 29, the health board said: “We continue to see a large number of winter illnesses and infections across our sites. We ask everyone visiting our hospitals to keep themselves and others safe by wearing a face mask.”

The statement added: “These measures are vital to protect patients and staff during the winter months. We would like to thank everyone for their assistance in helping keep our communities safe.”