A Kent hospital has been placed on the highest level of alert amid winter pressures and an ongoing doctors strike.

Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford has confirmed it is running on OPEL level 4 as increased service demands have outweighed the hospital’s capacity.

Operational Pressures Escalation Levels (OPEL) are an NHS framework used to measure the stress a hospital is under.

Level 4 is the most severe tier, and is placed when organisations may be “unable to deliver comprehensive care”.

NHS England says when this point is reached, there is an increased potential for patient care and safety to be compromised.

A Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust spokesperson said: “As you can appreciate with winter pressures and a junior doctors strike we are very busy at the moment.”

Industrial action began yesterday at 7am and will continue until Saturday, December 23.

The Trust warned visitors: “Our emergency department continues to operate throughout the strike period, although we predict high activity levels, so you may experience longer waiting times.”

The disruption comes at a period when health services are also facing increasing pressures due to the winter period.

According to recent NHS data, the number of people in hospital with flu has increased by almost two-thirds in a week.

Covid cases are also on the rise and are up 38% in the last four weeks.

NHS Kent and Medway said an increased number of people attending A&E departments, and the effects of the strike “puts significant pressure on the NHS and means patients wait longer to be seen, which is never what we want.”

In October, around 20 people were recorded laying in wait on the Gillingham hospital’s floor.

Both the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust and Medway NHS Trust declined to comment on what OPEL level their hospitals were operating on as these are “internal measures and change regularly”.

A spokesperson for NHS Kent and Medway said: “Staff across all NHS services are working harder than ever before to make sure patients have the best possible care.

“Some patients at A&E can be treated elsewhere, such as at one of our urgent treatment centres, where they are likely to be treated sooner.

“It’s really important people choose the right service for them, particularly during the next few weeks, as winter is always the busiest time of year.”

If you’re not sure what NHS service you need, use NHS 111 online or by phone or visit www.stopthinkchoose.co.uk for a map of urgent treatment centres and pharmacies.