A&E departments have reached crisis point as Basildon Hospital declared an internal critical incident and Southend Hospital remains on black alert due to a shortage of beds.

Basildon Hospital cancelled “significant” amounts of planned operations and looked to axe outpatient clinics to free up specialists after more than a week on black alert.

Both hospitals have struggled to cope with demand on their A&E due to a lack of available beds.

Basildon Hospital’s deputy chief executive Tom Abell said the hospital “cannot balance the number of very sick people we already have in our beds with the extra people arriving in A&E”.

Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, is also understood to still be on black alert.

Mr Abell said: “This has been a difficult decision to make.

"We are well versed in responding to peaks in demand and our dedicated staff rise to the challenge, sometimes working extra hours, sometimes taking on different roles.

“The current waiting times for patients in A&E are unacceptable.

"Despite our best efforts, we simply cannot balance the number of very sick people we already have in our beds with the extra people arriving in A&E, so we need to do something different.”

“I would like to ask the public for their understanding and cooperation. If you have an upcoming appointment at Basildon or Orsett Hospital, please arrive as planned unless you are contacted and told otherwise.”

One major issue facing hospitals, which is the responsibility of councils and clinical commissioning groups, is patients who are medically fit to be discharged, but have nowhere appropriate to go.

Both Essex county and Southend councils insist they are doing all they can to support the hospitals and help patients get back to their own homes as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessarily taking up beds.

The Echo asked what plans were in place to alleviate the pressure on hospitals, but did not receive any specific details.

Councillor Graham Butland, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Health, said: “Due to the increase in demand for hospital care, the Council is working very closely with its health partners across the system to support people going back to their homes or care settings.

“We are committed to making sure residents return to their own homes as soon as it is safe and medically fit to do so, and our reablement service, which allows patients to do so for a short period while recovering, has proven to be successful.

“However, we recognise that there has been a rise in the amount of residents who need care in their own homes.

"We are liaising with care providers to find solutions, but due to recruitment difficulties and the time of year, there is no straightforward answer.

"We will continue to work with our partners to address this important issue.”

A Southend Council spokesman added: ""We work very hard with our colleagues in the health service to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible. 

"Our Therapy and Recovery Team for example, recently judged outstanding by Ofsted, do great work in this area by providing short term care which helps people to regain their independence quickly.

"We also have a social worker team based at the hospital that works with health colleagues on planning acute discharges and works with the older person assessment service to avoid admissions where possible.

"We will continue to monitor the situation at the hospital and assist and provide support where necessary and appropriate."

Basildon councillor David Burton-Sampson urged the councils to do more to prevent the hospitals being put in such positions.

He said: “We are getting to the stage where it’s becoming a very serious situation.

“I worry that the people who rely on these hospitals may end up being in a position where they receive sub-standard care.

“When we get to this stage, the Government needs to step in and do what needs to be done to ensure the patients get the care they need.

“Services like social care and community care are being cut down at county and borough level which is clearly having a knock-on effect on hospitals. It’s important for councils to put pressure on the NHS and Government to take steps to stop this happening.”