From the Guardian today:

Four NHS hospital trusts in England have declared critical incidents after a “surge” in A&E admissions driven in large part by patients with flu, norovirus and respiratory viruses. Three trusts in Surrey and one in Kent sounded the alarm after a “surge in complex attendances to A&E departments”. A critical incident, which is usually declared when A&E departments are not able to necessarily deliver all of their services safely, is the highest alert level used by the NHS and allows bosses to take immediate steps to create capacity.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/13/four-nhs-trusts-in-england-declare-critical-incidents-after-surge-in-ae-admissions

Media in Scotland have, of course, tried to invent such a situation. Yesterday, the Herald had:

Why Scotland’s largest health board is begging the public to stay away from A&E

See that ‘begging?’ Just in the headline. No medic said that. Just ‘beg?’ Nowhere.