Southend Hospital’s A&E is in ‘chaos’

There were reports of “chaos” at Southend Hospital’s A&E tonight, with up to 30 ambulances seen queueing outside at times.

The majority of the ambulances were understood to be waiting to unload patients, despite the introduction of a new ambulance hand over unit outside the A&E.

Hospital staff are working tirelessly to deal with the influx of patients, with some doctors and nurses seen attending to patients in the back of the ambulances.

Anne Bell commented: “My sister in law went to A&E yesterday with a suspected broken foot/ankle. There were 25 ambulances in a queue outside, unable to deliver patients for treatment. It is a crisis met with indifference by our government.”

Bill Peck added: “I gave a friend a lift to Southend Hospital today. It was chaos, difficult to get in and almost impossible to get out due to the amount of ambulances parked outside A&E. One on Blues and Twos couldn’t get in at all and reversed out presumably to use another department’s entrance.”

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “The NHS remains under significant pressure. Please only call us if it’s a life-threatening emergency or serious injury.

“111 online can help you if you have a medical problem and don’t know what to do.”

A spokesperson for the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust added: “Our hospitals are experiencing an extremely high demand for their services, with many arriving at A&E by ambulance, reflecting just how busy local NHS and social care providers are.

“We want to reassure everyone that the NHS is open, staff are working incredibly hard, and anyone needing life-threatening help must always come forward.”