A hospital trust has set up a dedicated phone service for patients and loved ones to call with concerns about their treatment as it continues to deal with increasing demand.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust says Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham is "very busy" and urged people to call 111 instead if they have a minor injury or illness.

The trust's chief executive, Jayne Black, said: "Our emergency department is very busy at the moment, and we are also facing ongoing challenges in discharging patients who are well enough to leave hospital – all of which leads to longer waits than we would like for patients to be seen and admitted."

"We are currently working closely with all our partners to maximise all available capacity for our patients.

"I apologise to patients who have experienced long waits.

"Our staff are doing everything they can to ensure patients are seen as soon as possible and I would like to thank them for their continued hard work during this challenging time."

Mrs Black explained: "Patients are prioritised according to clinical urgency, so some people with minor injuries or illnesses may be waiting for a very long time.

"If you need urgent but not emergency medical care and are unsure where to go, contact NHS 111 who can signpost you to local services that may be more appropriate."

The trust issued a similar warning about A&E waiting times between Christmas and New Year, and before that declared a critical incident and prioritised services to protect the most vulnerable patients.

This week, it launched its Call 4 Concern service to enable inpatients staying at Medway Maritime Hospital, and their friends and family, to call a dedicated number 24/7 for immediate help and advice directly from a member of the Trust’s Acute Response Team.

The trust says people should only call the Call 4 Concern number if they have already spoken to the nurse in charge or a doctor about their loved one’s condition and they are still concerned.

A member of the team will visit the patient on the ward to discuss concerns which have already been raised with a doctor or nurse.

They will then speak to the patient's medical team and other healthcare professionals to decide on any further treatment options which will be entered into the patient's notes.

Mrs Black added: “Patient safety is a high priority for the Trust. While our staff work extremely hard to provide the very best of care to our patients, we also recognise that at times the patient or a close friend or loved one can see that something is wrong before we can.

“While we already have robust systems and processes in place to detect when a patient’s condition worsens, Call 4 Concern is another layer of reassurance for our patients and their families and shows our commitment to providing safe, compassionate and joined up care.”

The service can be contacted on 07799 348608.

For any other concerns, contact the hospital's PALS Team on 01634 825004 or email medwayft.pals@nhs.net