Winter pressures which saw Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge go into a ‘black alert’ yesterday have now eased slightly, with today’s elective surgeries going ahead.

Pressures on bed capacity have eased today, going from Opel level four – the highest level – to Opel level three alert. However, the hospital stresses that A&E and the main hospital are still very busy.

During the ‘black alert’ yesterday ambulances were diverted to other nearby hospitals including Lister hospital in Stevenage, but are now arriving at Addenbrooke’s as normal.

A spokesman for Cambridge University Hospitals said: “The hospital is still seeing patients with the symptoms of the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, and flu, prompting renewed requests for visitors not to come into the hospital if they have been suffering with similar symptoms. “Patients are asked not to come into A&E in large groups to avoid the risk of overcrowding which makes the working environment more difficult for our clinicians.”

Patients who had their operations cancelled on Tuesday will be rescheduled as soon as possible and will be contacted with a new date.

For details of further medical support go to cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk.