The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn remains on 'black alert' today, for the fourth consecutive day.

'Black alert' is the most severe internal status level, and means that the hospital has a shortage of beds and that its A&E department is very busy.

Hospital press spokesman Adam Jackson said today: 'We have been on 'black alert' since Friday. The 'black alert' status can change on an hourly basis.

'Our advice to patients is that we are very busy, and to only come to the hospital with urgent needs. This is part of winter pressures on hospital trusts.

'We're certainly not closing our doors, but we are asking people to consider alternatives to coming to A&E, such as GP surgeries and pharmacies.'

Jane Tombleson, the hospital's divisional director of emergency care, said yesterday that they were managing patient flow.

She added: 'But we are extremely busy, we have ambulances waiting outside.

'We're having a very challenging situation – there are lots of poorly people coming in. It is not just us, all our other providers across the region are in the same position. I would like to remind people not to use A&E unless it's necessary.'

Matron Calton said the hospital was on 'black alert' on most days.

She said: 'It means that we have a shortage of beds, and that there is external pressure from people at the A&E department.'