St Albans City Hospital's minor injuries unit has been closed for the day today due to "increased demand" at Watford’s accident and emergency department.

An NHS source told the St Albans Review that staff had to be moved from St Albans in order to assist with the delays currently being experienced in the department.

The source said: "Delays in unloading patients developed in the early hours of this morning at A&E which meant the day started with a back log.

"It is a case of not enough resources to meet demand. The NHS should have the resources to cope with demand but they haven't."

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust chief operating officer Chris Pocklington said the St Albans minor injuries unit was closed due to "emergency staffing pressures" across the trust’s three sites, which includes Hemel Hempstead Hospital.

He added: "The trust is seeing an increase in demand across all three hospitals sites, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, which is putting pressure on our staff levels.

"A GP out-of hours service will be running as usual at St Albans hospital. Anybody requiring medical advice is recommended to call NHS 111 and they will be given advice to the local service which can help them best."