Salisbury Hospital declared an internal critical incident at 7.40am this morning due to multiple IT systems being unresponsive. Teams across the hospital have implemented backup plans and the hospital remains open and safe.
A spokesperson for the hospital said, "While our IT team work with contractors to fix the problem some patients may experience delays in normal hospital services as staff revert to backup systems.
"We will contact any patients whose appointment is impacted. If you do not hear from the hospital please attend as planned.
"To reduce pressure on the hospital we are asking people to only attend A&E if they are experiencing a life-threatening condition or serious injury. Alternatives to A&E include the Salisbury Walk-in Centre and NHS 111 online and by phone.
"For minor illness, local community pharmacists can provide advice and a range of over-the-counter medicine and treatments."
CEO Stacey Hunter said, "Our IT team have been working through the night and continue to work today in order to fix the problems. I am grateful to everyone at the hospital who have worked so hard to maintain services under very difficult circumstances.
"The impact of using backup plans has meant that some services have seen onsite waiting times longer than normal. I am incredibly sorry for the disruption and thank patients for their tolerance and understanding."