The hospital says it is under serious pressure and is working with community services to keep care safe.
People are being urged to only use A&E for emergencies and to use GPs, pharmacies or NHS 111 for other health problems.
The hospital says patients should continue attending their appointments as normal.
The public can help support us during this time by:
-Continuing to use community healthcare services such as pharmacies, GP practices, urgent treatment centres, and NHS 111 (online or by phone, 24/7) for urgent health advice.
-Only calling 999 or attending the emergency department for serious or life-threatening conditions.
Attending appointments as normal unless contacted directly by staff to reschedule.
-Supporting the timely discharge of loved ones who are medically ready to leave hospital, where it is safe to do so.
-Visitors are asked not to attend if they have symptoms of viral respiratory illness (including Covid or flu) or gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea or vomiting.
Dr Mark Roland, Chief Medical Officer at Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are currently experiencing extremely high numbers of people coming to our emergency department for urgent and emergency care, placing significant pressure on our services.
“Declaring a Critical Incident allows us to take additional steps to help maintain safe care for our patients and manage these pressures.
“Our staff are working incredibly hard in challenging circumstances. All essential services remain open, and anyone who needs emergency care should continue to come forward.
“We ask the public to choose services carefully and only come to A&E in an emergency, so our teams can focus on those who need emergency care most. If you need urgent advice or are unsure where to go, please contact NHS 111.”
