A massive IT and phone systems failure affecting emergency services at two west London hospitals on Tuesday (October 24) is "being resolved in stages".

Ambulances were placed on divert from Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals for several hours on Tuesday morning to ensure "patient safety".

At around midday, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said ambulances are no longer on divert, however patients are asked not to attend A&E unless "absolutely necessary".

"The situation is currently being managed effectively under our business continuity plans and our clinical systems are now up and running with departments returning back to normal in stages," the trust said.

"There has been no disruption to emergency and urgent procedures. We have minimised cancellations and some non-urgent procedures have had to be rescheduled but the majority are now going ahead as planned.

“Ambulances are no longer being diverted but we are asking people not to come to A&E unless absolutely necessary at this time."

CT scans from 11am were rescheduled following the IT failure, while some non-urgent procedures were suspended. Outpatient appointments went ahead as planned.

Between them, the two hospitals serve a catchment of 350,000 people across Hillingdon, Ealing, Harrow, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

Hillingdon Hospital, in Pield Heath Road in Uxbridge, is the only acute hospital in the area, according to the trust's website, with a busy A&E department, inpatients, day surgery and outpatients clinic.

Mount Vernon Hospital, in Rickmansworth Road, Northwood, contains a diagnostic and treatment centre, the Princess Christian Unit, four operating theatres for elective surgery and outpatient services.

The trust, which was last rated by the Care Quality Commission in August 2015, is rated as "requires improvement".

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