PATIENTS are being advised to avoid going to A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital or Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital after an IT fault hit systems.

Hospital bosses are asking patients with minor injuries or illnesses to visit one of the county’s minor injury units or their GP.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust – which runs the two A&E departments – is working with West Midlands Ambulance Service and other health organisations to ensure patient safety is maintained wherever possible.

Worcestershire Health and Care Trust runs minor injury units in Malvern, Evesham, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Tenbury.

The units in Kidderminster and Tenbury are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while opening hours at the other three facilities vary.

For health advice call NHS 111.