PATIENTS are being urged to avoid Dorset County Hospital (DCH) if it is not an emergency.
DCH's emergency department and hospital is 'incredibly busy' according to staff on site, which have had to manage treatments and appointments on top of dealing with patients who have suffered with Covid-19 since early last year.
In response, alternative sites across the area have been highlighted for patients who are injured or unwell, but do not require emergency care.
A spokesman from DCH said: "Our emergency department and hospital is incredibly busy at the moment.
"There are other local alternatives available if you are injured or unwell, but it’s not an emergency, including the Urgent Treatment Centre in Weymouth Hospital."
Other sites include minor injury units (MIUs) in Bridport, Swanage, Westminster (Shaftesbury), Victoria (Wimborne), Portland, Blandford, and Yeatman (Sherborne).
For more on this, visit: www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/miu
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