Patients have tonight been warned to stay away from Ayrshire's A&E units unless they have a "critical emergency or require urgent care".
The message from NHS bosses follows weeks of worrying scenes across the region's hospitals.
More than a dozen ambulances were stacked up outside Crosshouse Hospital's A&E last Monday afternoon in an incident which led one MSP to claim patients' lives were being "put at risk".
And the same hospital has seen wait times of more than 48 hours for beds in recent weeks.
Hospital chiefs last week issued an "unreserved apology" for care times falling below standards and have tonight asked that patients steer clear unless they absolutely need to attend emergency departments.
Joanne Edwards, Director of Acute Services, said: “NHS Ayrshire & Arran continues to experience significant and sustained pressures across our health and care system, but the safety of patients and staff remains our top priority.
“The demands on our Emergency Departments have increased in recent weeks with patients waiting for significantly longer than usual to be seen and assessed.
“We continue to prioritise those patients who require urgent care. How long you will wait will depend on the seriousness of your condition and how many patients with more serious or urgent needs arrive in the department while you are waiting.
“To help alleviate these pressures and make sure patients are seen as quickly as possible, we are asking the public to only attend the Emergency Department if they have a critical emergency or require urgent care.”
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