Swindon's jam-packed Great Western Hospital closed its doors to all but life-threatening emergencies for 12 hours.

Mounting problems with lack of space and beds came to a head yesterday as those with more minor conditions had to find other care.

Ambulance crews ferrying in patients were told to take them directly to hospitals outside the area, such as John Radcliffe, in Oxford, if conditions were not deemed critical.

And people turning up at casualty were advised to visit their GP, minor injury units or Swindon's walk-in centre, in Carfax Street.

Only those with life-threatening conditions or blue light emergencies such as heart attack or traffic accident victims, were admitted.

The closure was blamed on unprecedented admissions following the Christmas period.

The news echoes last year's difficulties, almost to the day, when the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, faxed GPs asking them to avoid sending their patients to the £180m hospital.

Since then, the hospital has opened extra facilities, such as the 36-bed Woodpecker orthopaedic ward, the 26-bed Clover ward and a discharge lounge in a bid to ease the problem.

Hospital spokesman Chris Birdsall said 190 patients attended casualty on Monday the most the hospital has seen in one day and the climax of a five-day period in which almost 900 patients went through the department.

Last year during the same five-day period casualty saw 650 patients.

Mr Birdsall said: "The decision to close came after it was felt to admit more patients would jeopardise the safe treatment of those already in the hospital.

"The increase could possibly be because sometimes people wait until after Christmas to go to hospital with their illness. A number of patients have come in with chest pains.

"The decision to draw the line depends very much on the needs of the patients and the resources needed to care for them safely.

"It was because of this, ambulance crews were asked to take non-emergencies to other hospitals."

On average, 170 people a day attend GWH's casualty department at this time of year. On New Year's Day there were 160 patients, on January 2 there were 148 and on January 3 and 4 there were 150 each day.

In the 12 hours the hospital was closed, 42 people attended the casualty department and 10 were admitted.

Dr Peter Swinyard, of the Phoenix Surgery in Toothill, said he hadn't noticed a surge in patients at the surgery but said if patients needed hospital assessment he would continue to refer them.

He said: "The hospital is working to capacity and there is no slack in the system so it can't cope when it gets these seasonal demands."

A spokesman for the John Radcliffe Hospital said three patients had been admitted in the 12 hours due to pressures in Swindon.

Lyn Hill-Tout, the Chief Executive of the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, which runs the hospital said: "The hard work, dedication and professionalism of all staff has been outstanding in continuing to provide the highest levels of care for patients under the difficult circumstances."

Alex Emery