Staff shortages, elective operations at risk, wards at capacity, and Omicron cases rising - just a handful of the difficulties facing Greater Manchester hospitals, according to NHS bosses.
As the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads, forcing vital members of staff to isolate or go off sick, hospitals in the region say they are ‘extremely challenged’.
Meanwhile, patients continue to stream in as the ambulance service fields high volumes of emergency calls, and beds fill up with ill people needing treatment - making planned operations harder to fit in as capacity reduces.
The startling picture in Greater Manchester follows the NHS raising to Incident Level 4, its highest level of emergency preparedness, at the beginning of November.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk